Isaiah 40:25-31 / Matthew 11:28-30
Whenever we talk about a balanced lifestyle, it has to be understood as balanced in every aspect of our lives.
So there is the balanced diet, in that we eat moderately and regularly, we don’t eat too much of one thing even though it may be good for health, and of course we don’t eat too much of what is called “sinful” foods like fried foods and ice-cream.
And besides the balanced diet, there is also the balanced rituals for the day, like regular sleeping hours, exercise schedules, regulated work hours, as well as leisure and recreation times, and also not forgetting prayer times.
All that sounds like common sense, but like it is always said, what makes sense is somehow not that common.
Because we let our lives go on the roll with irregular eating habits, sleeping late, sleeping too much, wasting time or spending too much time on the unimportant things, and draining ourselves with unnecessary negative emotions.
So when Jesus invites those who labour and are overburdened, and He will give them rest, let us ask ourselves what are we frustrated about, or burdened about, because that is tiring us out physically, mentally and spiritually.
We need to ask ourselves in this time of Advent, what is causing us the imbalance in our lives and making us lose focus and lose direction.
When we rest our bodies, minds and hearts in prayer and let the silence of God’s presence fill us, then as the 1st reading puts it:
Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.
May we find rest in the Lord, and even though life will have its labour and burdens, we will never be tired or worn out.