Recharging When Feeling Depleted

Photo courtesy of Norm Giesbrecht. Taken May 9, 2021.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

(Matthew 11:28–30, ESV)

Each Sunday of drive-in services, we have had at least one vehicle whose battery had drained so much it could not start following the service. Too often I feel like that car with its hood up, wanting to start and go but feeling literally stalled out … wanting independence but needing help (aka community). How do we “charge” our battery?

Jesus promises rest in these verses. I value rest, wishing for not only physical rest but more so mental and emotional rest. This is not necessarily freedom from problems but the ability to journey life in strength and joy … and with a sense of peace. What do I do when this “rest” seems far off?

Our society tells us to pamper ourselves, to focus on “charging” our battery. We tend to then focus so much on ourselves that we not only miss others but even God Himself. This is a self-centred “self-care” rather than a Godly one.

We do have to intentionally lay our cares at the feet of Jesus; the words “come to me” are not only an invitation to a place but an invitation to action, to daily choosing to trust Him, to “cast our cares” upon Him, to release our anxieties, to walk one day at a time. All of these feel like Christian pat answers, but all of these are in the Bible - so we believe them. We do not offer these glibly, but in order to truly “rest,” we need to actively work at these in our walk with the Lord.

Is there something you need to release to the Lord? Do you need to approach someone to help you do just that?