Change is Hard
Do any of your burdens feel too heavy?
Verse of the Day
‘Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’
Today’s Devotional
Let’s be honest about something. Change is hard. Spiritual growth and transformation are often very messy and frustrating.
As we are walking through the process of changing this house, I see spiritual lessons all over the place.
A couple of months ago, we walked into this house for the first time and from the looks of it, this was not where I wanted to live if it stayed in its current condition. I knew it would be a messy process to remove and change the things I wanted to remove and change. But now that I am in the middle of the messy parts, I don’t like it and I am just ready for it to be over.
How many times do we have this same attitude about ourselves? We look at the current state of affairs of our life and know that some things need to change. So we set about leaning into God and being deliberate about trying to learn, grow, and change in certain areas. And in the middle of this process, it gets harder. And messy. And frustrating. And maybe even some fear creeps in. Will this ever get any better?
Think about what happens if you pray for patience. Everything in your life might go wrong and everything is frustrating. Well…how will our patience grow if our patience is never tested? This is messy work. But what I know about Jesus is that He was never scared off by messy humans. He never turned His nose up at the mess any of God’s children found themselves in.
Now go back and reread today’s verse. It is my heartfelt belief that Jesus is speaking these words to each of us today. If your personal burdens feel too heavy today, bring them to Jesus so that you can rest. If the process of spiritual remodeling is weighing you down, maybe just set it down at His feet today. The rest we so desperately need comes from Him.
Here’s what I need to remember today:
-Change is hard.
-Growth takes time.
-Jesus is in charge and everything will be just fine.
-True transformation cannot be rushed.
-When it all feels too heavy, Jesus offers rest.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What burdens feel too heavy for you today?
What would the rest that Jesus offers look and feel like for you today?
What does it mean to you to give your burdens to Jesus?
How can you rest today?