When Strong Isn't Working For You Anymore

Scripture (Matthew 11:28, NIV):

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Devotional:

Do you ever feel like you've been running on fumes and Jesus finally taps you on the shoulder like, "Hey, how's that working out for you?" That's been me lately.

Work feels like a battlefield - personalities clashing, leadership falling short, and me trying not to lose my Jesus in the middle of it. Some days, walking into that place feels like walking straight into hell's break room. But the second I clock out, grab my dog, and head to the lake... it's like heaven flips the lights back on.

The air changes. My shoulders drop. I can breathe. The water ripples and Sweet Pea chases it as the waves come in. As Sweet Pea sniffs the wind, I remember - this is what peace feels like. Not the absence of people, but the presence of God.

That's when Matthew 11:28 hits different. Jesus isn't telling me to escape; He's reminding me - even into the chaos. He doesn't say, "Fix everything." He says, "Come to Me." Rest isn't lazy (as much as I used to think it was - I thought it was a sign of weakness and I was too prideful to let anyone see me weak); it's holy. It's not a getaway - it's a return to Him.

So even when the day feels like a dumpster fire, I'm learning that I don't have to wait until I'm sitting by the water to breathe again. I can find that same peace in the middle of the madness - because He goes where I go. We even walked through an area yesterday that I never would've stepped foot in before, but I didn't even think twice. I was communicating with Abba just like He was right next to me.

Questions to consider:

1. Where do I feel most at peace - and how can I bring that peace into stressful places?

2. When I'm weary, do I run to Jesus first or wait until I'm completely burned out?

3. What would my day look like if I treated rest as obedience, not weakness?

Prayer:

Jesus, You see how heavy some days get. You see the chaos, the exhaustion, and the moments I want to walk away from it all. But thank You for giving me little glimpses of heaven - like the calm at the lake or the excitement of Sweet Pea when we pull up - that remind me You're near. Help me carry that peace with me into every space, even the hard ones like work. Teach me to come to You before I collapse and to rest in You, not just recover. Amen.