“So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.” 2 Corinthians 4:12 NLT
Here’s our upside down kingdom again. We give of ourselves to help others. How counter cultural. Where’s the self- help, the self-care in that? Giving, doing for others. And yet there’s the invitation from Jesus:
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
So, do we work ourselves to death or do we just rest? Could it be that because we are all so different, when we find our rest in Jesus, when we repent and surrender to Him, He will lead us to the tasks, the people, and the places that will bring such joy that it won’t feel like a burden. I l know that for me, looking back on my life, some of the things that put the biggest smile on my face were the most difficult to go through, yet the most rewarding.
Today we should pray that God will direct our steps as we surrender to Him.
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
