The Hardest Step

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

It is amazing how much work we will do to avoid doing one simple thing. We will worry, plan, argue, complain, and lose a perfectly good night's sleep. We will tell three friends about our problems, search the internet for answers, and then wonder why God seems so far away. All the while, Jesus says,

“Come to me.”

Not “Get your act together.” Not “Figure it out first.” Not “Come back when you have something impressive to show me.” Just come.

That seems easy enough. Apparently, it is not.

We would rather climb a mountain for God than admit we need Him. Climbing a mountain makes us look brave. Coming empty-handed makes us feel needy. And we don't much like looking needy.

Pride is a funny thing. It will let us suffer for days before it lets us ask for help. We can even turn our prayers into a performance. We say the right words, check the box, and walk away carrying the same burdens. We spoke to Jesus, but we never really surrendered anything.

Remember that Jesus isn't asking us to put on a good show. He is asking for our hearts. So, what is in your hearts? A grudge. A fear. A secret sin. Our stubborn need to be in charge. If we want Jesus to fix things. Understand, He begins with what is going on inside us. That can be uncomfortable. But Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, does not reveal our stubbornness to shame us. He does it to lead us to the One who can set us free.

And here is the wonder of it all. Jesus never grows tired of inviting us. We have wandered. We have stalled. We have promised to come tomorrow, then made other plans. Still, He stands with open arms. His patience outweighs our pride, and His grace outweighs our failures.

So what are you still carrying? What are you trying to fix before you come to Him? You do not need a speech. You do not need a perfect record. You do not even need to pretend you have everything together.

You just need Jesus.

And He is already calling.

Come as you are. Come now.

Have a great week!

-Pastor Corey