I am one of those manly men, you know, "living life on the edge" type of guys. Another word I can think of to describe me is DANGEROUS! Probably the most manly thing I do week after week is let my gas light come on in my truck, and then push it to the very last mile to see if I will run out of gas. For some reason, there is a small adrenaline rush when that light comes on and the gauge is under the red line and I am on the interstate with no exit in sight. What is propelling that adrenaline rush is something totally different. My mind is freaking out wondering where the next gas station is, my hands are sweating as they grip the wheel, my emotions are a wreck as I stress the situation, and my spirit is calling me stupid for pushing my truck too far. (I told you I was a man). At times, I will break out into sweats running my truck on the very last drops of gasoline, praying that I make it to the next gas station. But, when I pull into that gas station and shut the truck off at the pump, a peace floods my life that I did not have before. I get in my truck, see my gauge register at the full mark, and I can go back to driving my truck without frantically wondering if I am going to run out of gas. One thing I love to do is drive my truck. When the gas gauge reads empty, that love turns into work. It becomes a burden to drive my truck until the gauge reads full again. Most of us love to live life, but that love can become work when our understanding of how God accepts us is broken.
In Matthew, Jesus tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. That those who are weary and heavy laden should come to him and that they would find rest. This rest is not a physical rest primarily (all though it can result in that), but a holistic rest.
True rest begins in one's beliefs. If I believe what the pharisees believed, that I must earn or maintain my relationship with God by upholding His laws, then I will find no rest. My emotions will be riddled with constant guilt, my body will physically be working hard to do better, my mind will be in a constant state of questioning my thoughts and deeds, and my spirit will not rest because it is longing to do more and more to increase it's favor in the Lord's sight.
Jesus says that this isn't the way to find rest. The way to real rest is through Him. Come to him, have a relationship with him and rest easy. You can find real rest only when God looks upon you and sees his son. Your sins are forgiven, day after day; night after night. And therefore, through faith in Jesus Christ (which isn't work, but a new set of beliefs that you hope in), you are favored in God's sight. That is why Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are tired and I will give you rest", because he has done the work for us.
