The Great Exchange

Matthew 11:29-30The Message (MSG)

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

I think most of us arrive at a place at some point in our lives where we are, in the words of Tamela Mann, "All churched out". Some of us get hurt; some of us get burned out; sometimes life happens, and we can't figure out how to get back to where we were, or what our new normal is, and how church fits into all that. Most of us also know what the Bible says about not forsaking the assembly, and probably know a 1000 opinions of others about why or what that means exactly. I can only tell my personal experience. 

In the last few years, life has gotten exceedingly complicated for my family. Things we took for granted, things we never saw coming...came. However, in the midst of that, I know God like I've never known Him. I feel His presence, know His joy. Like the Hillsong song, Soon, says..."Though I have not seen Him, my heart knows Him well." 

God can meet me anywhere. It doesn't have to be church. And as the good Southern saying goes, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, any more than sleeping in the garage makes you a car." But let me encourage you: find your people. Some of your people may not go to your church, and that's fine. But find your church people. Find your place. 

Last Sunday, I didn't really want to go to church. It wasn't that I didn't want to worship with my church family, or hear His word together. I was just tired. Sometimes you are just bone tired. Physically and emotionally tired. Sometimes you don't want to get up early on a weekend and put on real clothes and interact with actual people you don't live with. But in obedience and understanding how important it is to have your kids consistently in church, I put my "foo foo" on, as Pastor Doc always said, and went to church. And as I walked into the sanctuary, where worship had already begun, and His presence was thick...I felt as if I lay down and pulled a warm cozy blanket up over myself. A blanket of warmth, peace, comfort...home. In that moment, I heard an invitation to exchange my exhaustion, my woundedness, my insecurities about other people, for peace and joy. You may have to make that exchange once, or it may be a daily decision. But how worth it, it is. Love Him; love His people, especially the ones He put you in covenant and relationship with; love everyone else. And in the imperfection and authenticity, let them love you.