Learning to Lean

Day in and day out, it seems that every hour is filled up with things to do. This week at work I was so excited about a three day weekend, and then on Friday I realized that my entire three days are packed full! I began to feel exhausted before the weekend had even begun! Do you ever feel this way? Do you ever feel overwhelmed with obligations and “to do” lists and hectic schedules? I hear people talk about this all the time…so much to do and never enough time…not enough hours in the day…where did the time go?

Life is going to be FULL of things to do, but I don’t believe that God made us to be busy to the point that we are overwhelmed, stressed, and completely frazzled! We have to find balance in the midst of everything that we have going on, and that balance can only be found by learning to lean on the Lord. It’s a balance that can’t be found just from going to church on Sunday morning. It can only be found through time spent at the feet of Jesus, time in His presence, time spent talking to Him and listening to Him. We need to spend time with the Lord daily, and He will help us to stay focused and on track. He will help us to choose the most important things, as well as to trim the excesses. He will give us the strength to do what needs to be done, and time in His presence will also give us the peace that we need in order to find rest.

Jesus instructed us in this; he said, “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.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  That means that we don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the weight of all we have to do and all that we have to deal with. Jesus told us specifically to come to Him and He would give us rest. In Psalm 55:22 we are told to cast our cares on the Lord and He will sustain us, and again in 1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

You see when we lean on Him for our strength, He gives us all the strength – all the grace – we need in order to sustain us. When we’re worn down from our crazy schedules, then it’s time to slow down and step into His presence, time to lean into Him and listen to Him and receive His love, His joy and His peace. Just as the earth orbits the sun and receives its light and its warmth, so our lives must revolve around Him so that He can breathe His life into us, and so that we can receive the fullness of His light and warmth. When our heart is focused on Him and He is our first priority, then we will find that everything else will begin to fall into place. We’ll find order in the chaos and peace in the midst of any storm we face. We’ll find that instead of feeling anxious, tired and overwhelmed, we will have fullness of joy in the Presence of the King of Kings, and it will flow out of us in all that we do.

Today, choose to take time with Him. Take some time for just you and the Lord, maybe with your morning coffee and His word, or maybe on a walk as the sun sets. Choose not to just include Christ in your day, but to put Him first in it. Learn to lean on Him and give Him your whole heart, your entire life – all of your worries and cares, hopes and dreams – and watch how He will work in your life.