Do you long for rest for your soul?

So often as moms, we are physically and mentally exhausted with the normal demands of life, as well as the big and little challenges we face. We think we will never have enough energy for the day ahead and never get caught up on our rest.

That’s life.

We are always tired.

But Jesus offers rest for our souls.

Is your soul weary?

How does our soul become weary?

The soul is the eternal part of us. When God breathed in Adam, he became a living soul. Adam and Eve experienced not only physical and mental joy, but soul bliss.

Then sin entered and brought both physical and mental hardship, but also soul weariness.

For thousands of years both those who knew God and those who didn’t, experienced weary souls—souls that worked and worried endlessly in desperate hopes of obtaining eternal life with peaceful rest for their souls.

The Egyptians built great pyramids and hoarded goods in hopes of making it to the next world. The Incas and Aztecs sacrificed their fellowman to please the gods. The Native Americans worked to join the Great Spirit. Even the Israelites, God’s chosen people, strove to keep the Mosaic law, many never realizing all the sacrifices pointed to the coming sacrifice of Jesus.

 And still today, the Buddhists work to be better people so that maybe Karma will guarantee them a better life next time. The Muslims dedicate their lives the the Five Pillars with no assurance of ever attaining their goal of Paradise.  The Hindus try to please countless spirits and gods. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons knock on doors trying to minister enough to please God.

On and on soul weariness continues today as people all over the world search for a way for their souls to find something better than this life when death comes. Most are just hoping their good deeds outweigh their bad in the end. Some have given up completely, deciding it’s easier to deny what their soul knows, and pretend death is the end.

O, how weary our souls really are!

But Jesus.

He came to give rest to our souls by fulfilling everything needed to assure eternal life for us. Our souls can stop worrying and striving. We can rest because Jesus said, “It is finished,” or “Paid in full.” (John 19:30)

God’s standard is perfection. None of us can live up to it. No matter how hard we try, we can never be good enough for a relationship with God and Heaven. (Psalm 14:3

 But, even as Christians, our soul becomes weary.

We forget the work has already been done on our behalf. We become slaves again to the expectations we and others place on ourselves. Instead of joyfully serving the Lord because we love Him, we work to keep His favor. Or,  for some, to keep our salvation that we did nothing to earn in the first place.

O, how weary are our souls!

But Jesus says, “Come to me” and “I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He loves to give us rest for our souls.

It’s not a rest with no work. We take on His yoke, and a yoke means work.

But His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

It is a yoke of love.

Jesus once condemned the scribes and Pharisees for tying burdens to men’s backs and not being willing to lift a finger to carry them (Matthew 23:4). In contrast, Jesus bore our sins, our sorrows, our burdens (Isaiah 53:4).

When we as Christians experience weariness of soul, we are usually bearing burdens Jesus did not intend us to bear.

Give them to Jesus.

Then, rest easy, dear friend. Take a deep breath, and relax in the arms of Jesus.

Remember, His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

You no longer have the burden of earning or keeping your own salvation. Your eternity is secure.

Rest easy, dear friend.

Maybe you can’t rest easy because you don’t know the love and forgiveness of Jesus. See Know Jesus or What is the Gospel Anyway for more details on knowing the One who gives rest for our souls.