An Invitation to the Weary

Life often thrusts us into weary spaces. Spaces weighed down by grief, trauma, and loss in which life feels out of control, and we feel helpless to create change. Spaces where stress dominates, we’re carrying too much, and we’ve lost track of self-care and self-compassion. Or spaces of boredom and monotony, where the absence of adventure and excitement threatens to suffocate us.

We’ve all visited the weary spaces. Whatever the cause, weariness drains the joy and hope from life. But Jesus wants to meet us there.

Jesus knows the weary spaces, too. As a human, he experienced the burdens and weariness of life. He saw how his people suffered and struggled—and how years of oppression can defeat a person’s soul. And into that weary space, he released an invitation:

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30 CSB).

Jesus doesn’t shame us for feeling weary. He doesn’t say, “What’s your problem? Why aren’t you stronger or more resilient?” I have read this verse aloud to myself many times in recent months, when weariness ached within me, and every time, I felt the Lord’s compassion.

When we’re feeling weary, we need to know that he is not disappointed with us. He does not judge the space we’re in, but offers us the antidote for weariness—his rest.

This rest is not simply physical or emotional rest (though it often includes those). It is an inner rest facilitated by the Spirit of God. Only he can give this rest, because it is positional. It’s found in positioning ourselves alongside him—as we yoke up with him and allow him to disciple our hearts. When I think of a yoke, I picture two oxen pulling a plow together, and this picture shows me two truths about Jesus’ yoke.

First, to take his yoke is to become aware of his presence with us. He is in the weariness and burden-bearing with us. Side-by-side, we plow through the stuff together.

Second, to take his yoke implies we also have a part. The yoke makes us a team. Because it’s his yoke, he carries the burden, but we have a part too—and that part is trust. We get to trust him to lead us and strengthen us. We get to trust that his yoke truly is easy and his burden light.

Every season of weariness comes with an invitation to yoke up with Jesus. And when we do, even our darkest moments can become invitational. Though Jesus doesn’t cause our struggles, he wants to redeem them, so he invites us to rewrite the narrative on our circumstances by looking for his invitation.

When our son, Evan, was a nine months old, even though he had previously been sleeping through the night, he started waking up at 4 AM. Typically, if I needed to feed him in the middle of the night, he would fall right back to sleep once he had a full belly. But this time was different. He was wide awake, no matter what I did. After several days of this, I felt exhausted, emotionally weary, and deeply frustrated. I had no idea why this was happening or how to make it stop.

But God met me in that moment. On the fourth morning, as Evan started to cry again at 4 AM, God whispered in my ear, and my perspective suddenly flipped. I sat up in bed and declared to my half-asleep husband, “It’s an invitation!”

“What?” he mumbled.

“God’s inviting us to get up at 4 and spend extra time with him,” I said.

As unexciting as it felt to get up at 4, Mark went along with it. After our extra hour of prayer that morning, we decided to commit to getting up at 4 AM every morning for the next few weeks. We didn’t know why Evan was waking up early or how to immediately fix his sleep issue, but in the midst of that, it seemed clear God was giving us an invitation into greater intimacy.

The very next day, Evan began sleeping in as usual.  

We continued getting up early for the next few weeks, because God had shifted our perspective on that season of weariness, and we didn’t want to miss what he had for us. We didn’t know it then, but God used that time to prepare us for a betrayal that happened shortly afterward. All that extra time in his presence strengthened our hearts. I know he gave us grace beyond our ability to respond in love.

I will never forget that experience, because God showed me that every season of struggle and weariness can also be a season of invitation—if we will listen for his voice. If we will step back and ask, “What is Jesus inviting me into in this moment?”

What deepened revelation of his heart toward me, or greater experience of his provision for me, is he inviting me into in this moment?

Whatever weariness or trial we face, Jesus invites us into an experience of his goodness and grace. When we yoke up with him, we discover peace beyond understanding. Comfort in our mourning. Hope in the midst of disappointment. Rest for the weary.

Today, if you find yourself in a season of weariness, know this: Jesus sees you. He is walking with you, inviting you to trust him. Inviting you into more of him. Won’t you say yes?

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