Week 29 - I Will Give You Rest

Sports are great and fun, but they can also be stressful. The months of June and July in basketball are hard months. They are full of AAU tournaments and camps, and as I am coming to the end of my summer basketball schedule, I could use some rest.

My two main goals for all of my athletes are for them to grow into becoming the best version of themselves while enjoying the process, but becoming the best version of yourself is a tiring grind. You have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and beyond your limits, and you have to make good choices at all times, like what you are going to eat, how you spend your time, and finding the right teams, the right coaches, and the right camps and tournaments.

Luckily, I have a God that tells me that I can come to Him when I am weary, tired, and carry heavy burdens.

In Matthew 11, just after Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount and after he gave the disciples his final instructions before sending them out to teach and heal in the cities, Jesus himself went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.

At the end of Matthew 11, Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

The sports journey is hard and long if you are lucky. It is a marathon, not a sprint, and it is easy to get tired and weary on that journey. But if we believe in Jesus, we can go to Him whenever we need, and He will give us rest. Stay humble and gentle at heart, and seek God and his teachings first and often through prayer and by reading the Bible regularly.

THIS WEEK

1 - Read Matthew 11. In verse 6, Jesus said, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” In verse 19, he says, “But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.” God will bless you if you remain with him.

2 - When you get tired or weary, take some time for yourself and pray in silence, alone, to God. Let Him know that you are tired, weary, and that you are carrying heavy burdens. Ask him to take your stress and burdens and to give you rest.

Our Father, I pray that when I am stressed, tired, and weary, I will remember to come to you because you have the power and authority to take my burdens, and the burdens you give me in return will be light. I pray that I seek the Kingdom of God first and above all else, that I live righteously, and that you will give me everything I need. 

For a Google doc version of this devo, click here: I Will Give You Rest