There's nothing you have to do first

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. . . ” Matthew 11.28
 
This beautiful invitation from Jesus cuts through a lot of thinking about us coming to him. Something inside often prevents us from coming to Jesus until we actively do something: perhaps we feel we can’t come until we repent or have forgiven everyone, or until we have lived a good life. However, Jesus’ invitation is quite the opposite: when we are weary, when we are burdened, when we feel the weight of sin upon us and when we don’t know what to do next – these are exactly the moments to come him. All the things we need – rest, forgiveness and guidance – come from Jesus, but not until we approach him first.
 
So how do we come to Jesus? Coming to him begins with knowing that we can, that we are welcome in his presence whoever we are and whatever we have done. The main reason that most of us feel excluded from Jesus’ presence is not because he is doing the excluding, but because we do it ourselves.
 
Jesus stands and makes this invitation today to everyone who is weary and burdened. It is an invitation to you. However distant you feel from him, speak his name with tenderness and meaning. He is waiting for you. 

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