Being weary and worn down is a pretty common complaint these days. Whereas technology was supposed to make things easier, it seems to have done just the opposite. Though perhaps its partly our own fault?
There is some debate as to whether times used to be less stressful and “simpler,” or if they were always a bit tough. In all fairness, between wars and pandemics, maybe the good old days weren’t so good? Oh wait, that’s right…we have those things today too. But when one stops to think about it, the big difference is that today, we have all this neat and nifty technology that lets us post/tweet/text/email and chat, in real time. Today, a news story, which may in reality not be all that important anyway, is beamed across the planet in nano-seconds and as it comes in for a landing, someone, somewhere, alters and twists it a bit and then beams it out again…lies and all.
People yesteryear maybe had a radio to listen to or they occasionally read the newspaper, but today, we sit glued to a smart phone or iPad, soaking up endless news and social media. We’ve become so obsessed with always being “on,” that we have forgotten how to turn it all off. As a result, we are literally saturating ourselves with gossip, salacious news, lies, darkness, innuendo, political in-fighting…need I go on?
Perhaps we really are a big part of the problem, because every time we surf the news, or spend hours scrolling through social media feeds, we are doing so consciously and willingly.
So are we all stressed and worn down? Of course! Are we doing it to ourselves? Yep, pretty much.
This Bible passage is a beautiful reminder that at anytime, we can escape the madness:
“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
It is God who can and will give us a true rest from the burdens and tribulations of this world. Only God can provide a real and lasting peace and if we learn from His words and follow the teachings of Jesus, we can have that peace and tranquility. But what is the first step we have to take? We have to be willing to surrender our will, to God’s. The next step is to be strong and resist the urge to spend our time in cyberspace, because only in real life can we appreciate the miracles God has given us.
