Only God Can De-stress Your Soul
By Rick Warren

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 RSV).

When you’re stressed out, how do you typically unwind? How do you de-stress when you’re exhausted and overloaded? Maybe you go to a movie or out to dinner so you don’t have to cook. Or maybe you have a hobby or a sport that helps you unwind.

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, but none of them are going to provide the relief you really need. You can take all the naps in the world, but it’s not going to de-stress your soul. It’ll rest your body, but it won’t rest your spirit.

There’s only one thing that can rest your soul: God. Only he can give you that inner peace that de-stresses you.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 RSV).

He doesn’t say, “Come to church.” He doesn’t say to come to Bible study or small group. When you are overloaded, there’s only one person who understands soul rest. It’s God. What you really need more than anything else when you are overloaded is more time alone with God.

How do you do that? Matthew 6:6 says, “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (MSG).

Some of you have never done this. Others of you, you haven’t done it in weeks or months. That’s why you’re overloaded. You need to spend time alone with God in silence. Pray and read some of the Bible.

Why don’t we listen to Jesus more often? Why don’t we turn to him? We usually turn to everything else before even thinking about turning to God. A lot of times we think we can handle it on our own, and other times we just don’t realize that God is waiting for us to call on him. Over and over in the Bible God tells us, “Cry out to me. Call out to me. Talk to me. Cast your burdens on me.”

If you’re running on empty today, the first thing you need to do is call out to God for help. Don’t turn to a pill, a program, or a plan. Come to Christ, and he will give you rest.

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Talk It Over

• What difference do you notice in your day when you have a morning quiet time with God?
• Why is it important to shift your focus to God when you are stressed?
• Why do you think God waits for you to call on him before you experience his peace?

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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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