Well, I had no idea there would be a ‘part two’ to “Rest” but something interesting happened this morning. (You can read part 1 here.) My pastor preached on ‘persistence’ and the importance of being persistent in our faith walk….to keep on keeping on even when things are disappointing, tough, or seemingly impossible. At the end he called for those who felt like they were ‘weary’ in their walk to come up for prayer.
Even though I wrote yesterday about how many people I see who are weary, I was astounded at the number of people at the front of the church. I have to guess, but I’d guess at least 1/4 of the congregation was at the altar…and these were only the ones who went to the front–how many more stayed in their seats?
Does this surprise you?
I was grieved to actually see ‘weariness’ in such great numbers. Where I’d been seeing it in individuals, to see a collective group of ‘weary Christians’ was sobering. What’s missing in our faith walk that is causing so many to suffer when we are promised abundant life, peace, and a Comforter?
One thought I have is that so many people have been taught rules over relationship; busyness over intimacy; independence over dependence; and ‘Christian-likeness’ over Christlikeness. [I believe Jesus desires to ‘conform us to the image of Christ’, not another Christian…even if it is an exemplary one. Is your goal to be a ‘good Christian’ or to be like Jesus? This is not an issue of semantics, but an issue of the heart.]
Jesus really does desire that we come ‘sit with Him awhile’. He has the answers to all our problems and is waiting to share solutions with us!
What are your thoughts? Just click on ‘leave a comment’ below and let me know!