Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] 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. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” 170 years later, things have probably only gotten worse.  We fill our days with busyness.  We frantically move from one thing to the next, never pausing to catch our breath, until we are exhausted.  At work, we spend our time climbing the ladder.  They hold our feet to the fire.  We keep paying the price to build our nest egg, waiting for someday when we can retire.  Apart from work, we take our children from one activity to another.  We move from one event to another, searching for something to make us happy.  We are generally over-scheduled and unfulfilled.

Thoreau also wrote, “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” We often say, “I don’t have time” which almost always means, “this is not a priority.”  When things are important to us, we find a way.  When it’s not important, we make an excuse.  When we care, it’s amazing how much we can get done. It’s critical for us, then, to be clear about our priorities; to decide what is really important and prioritize that over what is simply urgent. Unless we are serving the Lord, the rest of our labor is vain.  It is only in the Lord that we can find fulfillment and peace.

It’s Labor Day.  It’s time for most of us to take a break from school and work and spend some time relaxing and enjoying the last days of summer.  Take some time this weekend, step away from it all, and focus on what it is really important to you.