“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

A father was trying to encourage his son to not quit school. He appealed to him saying, “Have you heard about Thomas Edison? He didn’t quit. Have you heard about William Wilberforce? He didn’t quit. Have you heard about Abraham Lincoln? He didn’t quit. Have you heard about Isachar McBrodie . . . ?” His son stopped him and said, “Dad, I’ve heard about the first three guys, but who on earth is Isachar McBrodie?” His father answered, “The reason you haven’t heard about him is because he quit!”

Maybe you’re thinking of quitting. You’re worn out, sucked dry, fed up. Enough is enough. You feel battered, shattered, overspent. No one seems to notice. No one seems to care. You ask yourself, “What’s the point? Why should I try any more?” Life feels like nothing more than one long process of getting tired.

When my energy’s spent and I’m feeling glum the words of Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch come to mind: “Mon centre cede, ma droite recule, situation excellente, j’attaque – My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I shall attack.” That’s good advice. The best form of defence is attack. Don’t give up. Keep on keeping on. Try, try, and try again.

Now you’re probably saying to yourself, “What does he know? He doesn’t walk in my shoes!” True. Only you can walk in your shoes. But there is someone who can lighten your burden . . . Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-30 He says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Msg).

Isn’t Jesus great? He can do what no one else can do. He can give you rest. He can take your weariness, take your burdens, and teach you how to live a less hassled and harried life. So bring it all to Him. Bring your trials and tribulations to the foot of the cross. For when life seems the darkest, the light potentially shines brightest. That’s why you must always pray and not give up.