“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
Unfortunately, as a mental health worker, I can attest to the fact that cases of anxiety and depression have doubled worldwide due to the pandemic. Many people are wrestling with fears, discouragement, hopelessness, anxiety about the future, just to name a few. Maybe that’s something you can relate to right now. That battle might feel all too familiar to you at this moment, and maybe those anxiety feel more natural and tangible than anything else. What a heavy and exhausting burden to bear.
It seems to me that the most common need these days is a deep need for peace – but not as the world gives. Fortunately for us, this God-Provider we serve cares so passionately about our peace! He is, after all, the Prince of Peace. According to Google, the definition of peace is “1. Freedom from disturbance 2. A state in which there is no war, or the war has ended”. How amazing to think that God cares about our freedom from what troubles us, and He fights our battles and ends our wars to give us peace. But the word used in the Bible, the original word “shalom,” means far more than these things – as if that wasn’t enough! It encompasses wholeness, completeness, harmony, welfare, tranquillity, being unhurried, and peace described earlier.
God is fully aware that we need peace to thrive, but so is the enemy of our soul. No wonder the enemy hates peace and works so hard at stealing it away from us. Anxiety lies to us, convincing us we need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Fears lie to us, telling us we need to run away and hide or fight all the time in order to stay safe. But Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28 – 30 to come to Him and that His burden is light. And yet, how often do we struggle under the weight of heavy burdens we were never meant to carry and think it’s normal? How often do we settle for a complete lack of peace, thinking it’s common? How often do we believe we are fine enough and live on far less than the immense peace God so longs to give us?
I once read a fascinating commentary on the story in Matthew 21:12-13 of Jesus chasing the money lenders out of the temple. In Matthew, it even states that after chasing out those who misused and abused God’s temple, He then healed all those who came to Him, and children shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David”! The author remarked that we are now the living temple, and Jesus is still as passionate today about chasing out the “den of thieves” in His temple that ruins, depletes, and robs us of what God has in store for us.
The good news in this is that Jesus still chases out the lies that sneak in and rob us of our peace. Not only does He kick them out, but He then heals us too.
Heavenly Father, thank you that You care so deeply about our state of mind and our need for peace. Thank you that You provide abundantly more than we can ask or even imagine possible! Thank you that You invite us to know that You are God and that You keep us “in perfect peace.” What a beautiful gift! Help us, God, not settle for carrying such heavy burdens, help us run to You for peace much faster than we do now and help us remember that You, and You alone, can provide such a satisfying gift. Please help us experience Your deep peace today and come against everything that kills, steals and destroys our peace. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen!
