The hustle and bustle of the holidays has begun. Stores are jammed with shoppers looking to snag that great deal. Parking lots and the associated impatience abounds. Many customer service reps have “lost that lovin’ feeling.”

In my own house, I am striving to complete my client work along with preparing for the holidays and a family vacation. Some days it feels like “My get up and go has gone up and went” as my Mom used to say when her level of tiredness went past the breaking point.

We are living in a time of rapid change. As soon as we get used to one new thing, ten more appear. I don’t think it was any coincidence that several of the teachings I listened to this week were about feeling weary.

One of the Scriptures mentioned comes from the Gospel of Matthew:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV).

I spoke about this very Scripture in one of the chapters of my book, “Finding God. Finding Me.” It was heavy on my mind after the teaching and I wondered whether I should write about it this week. Within minutes, a song came on the radio called “Rest For Your Soul.” That was my confirmation. (Click here to take a listen– it’s amazing!)

According to Merriam Webster, this is the definition of weary:

“Exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness; feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep.”

Here’s what I’m learning and I hope it encourages you. God never meant for us to be weary or exhausted. Look back to the beginning of creation. God created Eve to be a helper to Adam. We’re not meant to do everything on our own, working ourselves into a frenzy each day.

So how do we prevent this? Here are a few suggestions:

1. We can call upon Jesus to help us. We can “cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)
2. We can ask for help from others to lighten our loads. Many hands make light work. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:9 that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”
3. We can reexamine our schedules, to-do’s, and other commitments to see if each is needed. First Corinthians 14:40 tells us “But all things should be done decently and in order.”

We are about to embark on a new year. It’s the perfect time for reflection and re-evaluation. I’d like to encourage you to take a few moments to sit quietly in prayer. Ask God what He wants you to be doing. You may be surprised to find out that it’s not the ten million things on your calendar. It’s likely only one or two.

You may be doing many good things. Yet those good things could be keeping you from the great things God has planned for you.

Don’t miss the great because you’re too busy with the good.

Since this is my last blog post for the year, I pray you have a wonderful holiday season. I pray God’s rich blessings on you and your loved ones. I pray His face shines upon you and that He keeps you in all your ways.

See you in the New Year!