A Full Plate

A Full Plate

Matthew 11:28-30

To me, this is an excellent looking full plate of food. But honestly, when most of us refer to our plates being full, it looks nothing like this picture. It’s a book bag full of homework, a never-ending list of chores at home, hours of practicing a sport, a boss who schedules you extra hours on the weekend and your youth pastor asks you to come early to help set for a special event.  For an adult, the full plate may contain our job, dirty dishes, laundry to be done, a yard to be mowed, ball games to attend, parent-teacher meetings and the car that needs the oil changed.  Regardless of what fills your plate, a full plate can be overwhelming and very hard to juggle. 

If your plate is full, here are a few quick Biblical bits of wisdom to keep you “balanced” with your full plate.

*1) Rest is necessary, not optional.

There is nothing you can do better or a storm you can endure if you are exhausted. Sometimes you have to silence your phone and take a few minutes to nap or get an extra hour of sleep before morning.

God gave us the seventh day of creation to teach us we need time to rest. God did not need to sleep, but he wanted to give His creation an example to follow. Our bodies require rest to remain healthy and ready for the challenges of life.

In his earthly body, Jesus gave his disciples an example of rest for both physical and spiritual purpose.  In Mark 4:35-40, we see Jesus leaving the crowd and falling asleep in the boat as a violent storm strikes. When the disciples fearfully awake him, he calms the storm, rebukes them for their fear, and I imagine returns to sleep.  In Matthew 14:22-23, we read that after feeding the 5,000, “ . . . Straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray:” A vital part of rest, is time crawling up on your Heavenly Father’s lap and resting in his arms. You need time to take your burdens to God and allowing Him to encourage your heart.

*2) Share the responsibility.

Too often we look at our long “to do” list and think no one can do the job right but us.  The truth is no one person can do everything, and God placed fellow believers in our lives as a support system.

 You need to look for dependable people to HELP, and never be afraid to ask them. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  God never intended his disciples to do life alone.  When we allow others to step into our “to do” list, we will enable them to have a blessing by helping someone else. We can encourage them by making them feel needed. And a shared burden is much easier to carry.  

*3) Remember, God never called you to balance your “full plate” all alone. He doesn’t just want you to let him help balance your plate. He anxiously waits for you to let go, of the plate, so you can hear him say, ” I GOT THIS !”

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” according to what we read in Matt.11:28-30. Life can only be lived successfully and joyfully when we stop trying to do our own thing and follow the One who created us to rest in Him.