Too Tired for J.C. — True Rest in Jesus

When you’re weary, don’t settle for “snacks”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

When you’re hungry—truly hungry—a single potato chip won’t satisfy you. It might spark a quick response in your brain that says “food,” but you’ll still be hungry… and still malnourished.

We can do something similar with our spiritual lives. When we treat church as just another event on the calendar, it starts to feel optional—something we can skip when we’re tired.

I know this because I’ve done it. The thought creeps in on Saturday night or early Sunday morning: “I’m exhausted. Maybe I’ll just watch from home this week.” Being tired is real. In a nonstop culture, extra sleep sounds like the perfect answer.

But last Sunday, the Holy Spirit used Matthew 11:28 to convict me: I had been looking for rest in the wrong place. I was treating physical sleep as the antidote to spiritual weariness. I was confusing a symptom with the deeper need.

You're Never Too Tired for True Rest in Jesus

Church is not an event. To reduce it to convenience is to miss its purpose. Hebrews reminds us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, “not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24–25). We need each other.

When we skip gathering because we’re tired, it can be like choosing a potato chip when

what we need is a real meal. We may get a little more sleep, but we remain spiritually undernourished. We miss the preached Word, the encouragement of fellow believers, the corporate worship that lifts our eyes beyond our circumstances, and the Spirit’s unique work in the gathered body.

Jesus offers true rest in Jesus—not by avoiding Him, but by coming to Him. And one of the most powerful ways we come to Him is by joining His people in worship.

Psalm 84:10 says, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” The psalmist understood something vital: being in God’s presence with God’s people brings renewal that sleep alone can’t provide.

Daily Practice: Before Sunday arrives, pray specifically about your Sunday morning. Ask God to help you see church not as an obligation or event, but as the place of spiritual nourishment you genuinely need. If you’re tempted to stay home, recall Matthew 11:28—and choose to come to Jesus by coming to His gathered people.