"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.” - Matthew 11:28-30
That is one well-known passage. Chances are most of you could recite that by heart or will immediately know where it is found in your bible, underlined, circled, highlighted, waiting for those moments when you’re desperate for help.
This beloved passage has been one of the most frustrating words in the bible for me. They are words that tap into emotion and require trust and although there definitely are moments when it rings true to my heart, more times than not, they leave me wanting, unable to feel what God is asking me to know.
They are difficult because they are not physically miraculous, a moment of raised hands, a whisper, and the immediate quiet of the storm. In fact, when I look up from reading, I often find the circumstance that brought me there has not changed at all and I still have to deal with it. I find the same fears, worries, sadness, and uncertainties rushing back.
Those are incredibly beautiful, powerful words but how do those words become transformative in those moments of need? That has always been my question, how? How can I let those words help?
Out of the 40 words in this passage I think the most powerful and perhaps the only ones we need, are the first three. They could very well be some of the most powerful words in all of scripture.
“Come to me.”
They are an invitation, and if we truly think about what those words are saying, the others in the passage don’t matter and we could almost throw them away.
“Come to me,” - just stop there.
They speak to an eternal truth. They answer the deepest desire of our hearts. They truly give us the strength to move forward.
The power of those three small words, “come to me,” allow me to remember and know that I am not alone. Though the storm rages around me, I am not alone. Though the fear and pain try to crush me, I am not alone. Though the darkness seems to consume me, I am not alone. I am not alone in this life. I am not alone in this struggle. I am not alone in this moment.
For me – that makes all the difference.
Jeff Rohlwing
Director of Music, Worship, and Technology
Comments