I don’t know about you, but I am worn out. I am just very tired and drained. But not in the way you might think. I’m not worn out and tired physically. I am not won out and tired emotionally or even mentally. I am just worn out and tired from all of the noise of politics and COVID-19.
I am just worn out from it.
In past election years, I have normally not let the noise of politics become too loud. But for some reason, this year, you can’t help but let it in. It is everywhere. All over the news. All over social media. In conversations at work or school. The noise of politics.
The headlines are all over saying that one party or the other are a bunch of idiots and don’t know what they are doing. They stand up in front of a camera and verbally bash the President of the United States telling us every time they get the chance that he’s “the worst president we have ever had.” Then in return, the leader of this country will call them all crazy and returns the verbal bashing. Back and forth back and forth it has gone for years.
Then there is always COVID-19 news. How cases are going up. How cases are the highest they have ever been. And on and on and on.
There is also the struggle of school for our kids and us. Are they going back to school... ever? If so, how, where, and when? Will it be hybrid and what does that look like? Will it be all in-person? Will there still be some e-learning? The kids are fatigued from having to do all this e-learning and in a way teaching themselves. We as parents are upset because they are struggling and upset. But there is nothing left for us to do but wait.
I am just worn out from it all. We all are just worn out.
But then I remembered some words of Jesus. These words are not new to me, but they had been forgotten and God gave me a gentle reminder of them.
“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
Jesus says “come to Me”. Come to Me if you are tired. Come to Me if you don’t know what to do next. Come to Me if you are worn out from it all. Come to Me and let Me help you take a rest.
Jesus knew that the disciples had a lot on their minds and would continue to have a lot on their minds in the days ahead. Jesus was trying to prepare them for what was coming. Jesus told His disciples on His last night with them these words
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” - John 14:27 NLT
Jesus gives us the peace that we need. He even tells the disciples later on that they can have peace because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). He told them that they would face all sorts of things and that they should expect to have troubles. But they can have peace knowing that they are already taken care of.
I realize that I was letting all this noise of what is going on in the world drown out that voice of Jesus. We can allow our world to become so noisy that we can no longer hear the whisper of Almighty God. God doesn’t shout. He doesn’t need to. He is close enough to us to whisper (1 Kings 19:9-13 + Psalm 34:18).
God has everything under control and we can forget that if we are tuned into the noise and not the whisper.
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