«I WILL GIVE YOU REST»
«Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest» (Matthew 11:28, NIV).
A FRIEND told me about the biggest scare of his life. Overwhelmed from having nonstop sinusitis, he made an appointment to see an allergist. During the visit, the doctor took his blood pressure, and the blood pressure monitor showed he had very high blood pressure. After checking several things, the allergist informed him that he had a grade 4 heart murmur and should see a cardiologist. My friend left the doctor’s office feeling very scared; he felt the world was crumbling under his feet.
Following the doctor’s recommendations, he began getting the appropriate tests he needed. He had an electrocardiogram done and everything turned out well. Then he underwent an echocardiogram, and there was nothing abnormal. The cardiologist took his blood pressure, and it was perfect. The doctor’s diagnosis was unambiguous: «You don’t have high blood pressure and you don’t have a heart murmur. Stop worrying, rest more, and relax when you’re about to have your blood pressure taken. You’re a healthy man.»
My friend told the doctor, «I don’t know why this happens to me considering I’m a Christian.»
I was struck by the doctor’s reply: «It happens to you because you’re human.» Sometimes we forget that as Christians we are as human as everyone else; in other words, we are imperfect, vulnerable, and weak; we are inclined to worry, become overwhelmed, get nervous, and get sick. Furthermore, Jesus, our model, also partook of many basic aspects of our humanity. He visited His friends’ house (Luke 10:38-42), and there were times in which He got sad (Mark 14:34) and cried (John 11:35).
One time He told His disciples, «Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest» (Mark 6:31, NIV). Jesus knew when to take a restorative break to recharge His batteries in order to perform His work more effectively. That was what my friend needed as well: a break. And it’s what many of us need today.
Sometimes the best medicine for us is to relax and unwind. We are humans, and as such we need to rest, to take a break so as not to be swept away by the swift flow of a world that beats at a frantic pace. Because we are humans, Jesus makes a great invitation to us, together a wonderful promise: «Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest» (Matthew 11:28, NIV). That was what my friend needed, and it is what we all need.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate