Burned Out – July 11, 2023

[Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

Burned Out

Have you ever been burned out? Burnout is when the fires of stress char you emotionally and mentally. Maybe your job fries you to a crisp. You work hard all the time, but it seems like nothing you do makes a difference. Maybe you’ve been burned out on life in general and couldn’t seem to get excited about anything.

Sometimes people get burned out spiritually. They start out on fire for the Lord, but then that fire ebbs and eventually burns out. Religious burnout happens when you minimize or forget everything Jesus has done for you.

This leads to a conscience that screams at you for every poorly chosen word, to the regret that smothers you every time you lose your temper, and to the guilt that burdens you for the things that you’ve done wrong and the right things you’ve left undone.

This is why Jesus gives the beautiful invitation in today’s Bible verse. “Come to me,” he says, but he does not mean, “Work hard, fight your way to me, and I will reward you with rest.” No, to understand what Jesus means, think instead of the father who scoops up his toddler and says, “Come here!” Jesus wants to carry you, along with all your burdens and sorrows.

Because he has already carried the burden of your sin, how absurd is it for you to continue to be weighed down by it? What can you do with it that he hasn’t already done? All of that was already nailed to the cross with him. So when you feel burned out, know with absolute certainty that Jesus will give you the rest you need.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, take my burdens and grant me true rest in you. Amen.