Bring it to God!
By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”- NIV
Jesus prayed in Gethsemane to His Father, but also had the disciples around him, showing a two pronged approach to stress management. Here, Jesus made an all time call to stressed up people, weary and burdened by life’s futile attempts to be good, and challenges they can’t manage to carry on their own. Stress comes about because certain things are too heavy for us to handle. Jesus’ call is for us to bring them to him. And he promises to give us peaceful rest. We have a great privilege of access to God Almighty through prayer!
Sometimes we try everyone and everything else we think about in attempt to solve our problems, before bringing it to God as a last resort. And yet he is a safe refuge and very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). It was a result of the fall that man wants independence. But without God, we simply can do nothing. All our lives, whether we appreciate it or not, revolve around God. Some think a call to trust God is too simplistic. We keep carrying so much loads we would have given to God!
Bring it to God as it is, hiding nothing. Tell Him how torn, broken, troubled and stressed up you are. That’s a sign of faith and surrender. It is God’s commitment to relieve stress for those who seek His help by lifting their burdens. He calls us to cast them to Him because He cares. The promised rest is a peaceful settlement in your heart that all is taken care of, despite possible continued existence of the challenge. It will no longer trouble you.
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Shalom children of God.