Come, Rest a While

Jesus in Matthew 11: 28-30 says, “Come to me, all of you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” It is normal to be anxious sometimes, but if your worries and fears are so constant that they interfere with your ability to function and relax, then it is time to seek help, it is time to rest.

There is a limit to how much we can be overburdened and stressed with affairs of family, work, and relationships. It can lead to other physical and mental health issues. No one can be overburdened or stressed continuously or beyond a point. The word stress comes to english language from the scientist, Robert Hooke, who is the proponent of 'law of elasticity' (1660s). Taking the example of a bridge, he explains that we use springs for a bridge to give it room to take the stress of heavy vehicles moving on the bridge. The springs or suspensions can take the stress only to a a limit, beyond which it reaches a breaking point. And if the springs or suspensions are kept in stress continuously they will change its shape and nature for ever. It will collapse and cease to be a spring or suspension. Humans also have a psychological law of elasticity; they can not be overburdened and stressed continuously and beyond point -they break down.

Overthinking

Jesus comments elsewhere to the apostles, do not be like people of no faith, but have faith. He must have been seeing people getting lost in the black hole of stress, anxiety, and worries. Once Jesus was visiting Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) Martha kept bothering Jesus saying, I have to everything myself, no one helps me, not even my sister. Jesus, who usually takes the side of working class and the poor, did not sympathise with Martha.

Often we are victims of overthinking, believing that if I blink the world will collapse. We are victims of stress and overburdening. Jesus says, come to me and rest a while. It is a call to slowdown. It is a call to understand that we are not alone. God is with us. Do not run about like headless chickens; do not run about as if there is no god. Such fretting about things often lead to great dangers. It is a call to examine; it is a call to refocus. Come rest a while, be weightless for a while. God is there.

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AnonymousJuly 16, 2022 at 9:42 PM
Interesting insight Saji... Thank you 🙏
Jamesmon.
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