Jesus didn’t wear exhaustion as a badge of honor, or mark of distinction. He took the time to recharge and refresh his heart in the presence of his Father, before jumping back into everything that needed to be done.
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Scripture
Matthew 14:22-23
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
Observation
This chapter is such an insight into the load that Jesus carried in his ministry. He had just been notified that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been murdered in prison over a thoughtless promise made by the local ruler. The season was intense, and the pace of ministry unrelenting. Jesus tried to take some time away from the crowds to grieve, but they followed him anyway. He fed the crowd, gave his disciples their marching orders, and then again returned to solitude in the wilderness. Jesus didn’t wear exhaustion as a badge of honor, or mark of distinction. He took the time to recharge and refresh his heart in the presence of his Father, before jumping back into everything that needed to be done.
Application
Some seasons get intense. Between the tasks that must urgently be done, to the emotional weight of tragedy in the lives of those around me, to the unrelenting and constant pace of pursuing the mission of the Gospel week after week, the weight can build as much as I allow it to. When the weight start becoming greater, I must follow the example of Jesus. My responsibility is to keep my heart grounded in the Father–His responsibility is to carry the load.
The danger comes when I begin to think that the weight is mine to carry. This is when I start trying to do the things that God didn’t intend for me to do, and neglecting the things that He does want me to do–like spending time in His presence.
I must daily course-correct back to the right hierarchy:
He is God, I am not.
He is strong enough to carry the burden, I must place the burden His hands.
He is the source of rest, I must choose to rest in Him.
He is the source of wisdom, I must seek the wisdom that comes from Him.
This week, I choose to protect my time with the Father. Even when distractions and urgent problems arise, I choose not to let anything else around me prevent me from resting in the presence of my Father. I choose to cultivate the spiritual disciplines of solitude and prayer, so that my heart can be sustained by the One who carries the weight of the world on His shoulders.
Prayer
God, thank you for the rest that only you can give! Thank you for never giving me more than I can carry, without also giving me your strength to rely on. Help me to never neglect my time with you, even when the task list gets long and the emotional weight gets heavy. You are God, and I am not.
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