John Wooten
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. Matthew 11:28-29
When I was 18 years old, I went on a Chrysalis Walk, a three-day retreat for high school students focused on spiritual growth and developing a deeper relationship with God. I was on the older end of the age range, preparing to graduate high school, and getting ready to enter a new season of life.
One evening during the retreat, we were given time for deep self-reflection. We were encouraged to search our hearts for areas we were holding onto: burdens, fears, or struggles that might be preventing us from experiencing the fullness of what God had for us. We wrote those things down on paper and then nailed them to a cross placed in the church. At the end of the night, all of the papers were gathered into a pile and set on fire; a powerful visual reminder of what God does with the burdens we bring to Him and surrender at the cross.
That night opened my heart in a way I had never experienced before. God showed a young 18-year-old His faithfulness and goodness when I finally let go of control and placed my burdens at His feet. Scripture teaches us to bring all of our burdens to Him, and He promises to give us rest. In that moment, God not only met me where I was and took the weight I had been carrying, but He also gave me a reference point, an experience I could return to and share as evidence of His faithfulness throughout my life.
God honors moments of humility, when we become vulnerable enough to release control and lay down the weight we were never meant to carry alone. He reminds us that those burdens were already paid for on the cross, and because of that, we are free to rest in His goodness and faithfulness.
I don’t know what burdens, emotions, or situations you may be carrying today, but God invites you to bring it all to Him. One of the hardest things for us as humans is relinquishing control, yet that is exactly what God asks us to do with the things that weigh us down. Bring your troubles to Him today. Nail them to the cross, and watch Him set them ablaze as He gives you rest.
Reflection
Write down anything you sense God revealing to you—anything you are struggling with or need to turn over to Him. If you’re able, take what you have written and symbolically nail it to a cross, offering it fully to God.
Prayer
God, thank You for knowing us, our needs, our struggles, and our hearts. Search my soul today and reveal anything that is keeping me from being all You. designed me to be or doing all You have called me to do. Remind me of the moments You have been faithful in my life, and I thank You in advance for the moments You will be faithful again. Amen.
