Rest and Freedom

About a week ago I sensed the Lord asking me to take a spiritual break--to rest. For me this meant not constantly looking for ways to encourage or be super intense. It was good for me, but difficult.

Today I woke with a sense of freedom. I had a dream that set me free. I have also realized what was weighing me down, what even caused me to be physically sick last week.

I have to say that my first scripture and point was taken from Joseph Prince. Last night he was speaking on entering into the rest of God (see Heb.4:10). That verse says that if we enter into His rest we are free from the "weariness and pain of human labors". Prince commented on worry, and how when we worry we are actually stopping the flow of the Spirit of God, and seeing things in a wrong perspective.
To me, this meant taking on people's troubles and worries. Isaiah 53:4 says that Jesus bore our sorrows and distresses.
I asked the Lord last week if it was "wrong" for me not to want to encourage anyone. What I have just shared was His answer to me. For years I have taken on the false responsiblity of sharing in other's worry.
Philippians 4:6 says not to be anxious, but to petition God instead...with thanksgiving!! That does not sound like worry to me.
In conclusion, these passages can refer to the one who has lost their peace, or the "fixer" that tries to help everyone. Jesus died and took our pain, so that we don't have to abide in it! We must abide in Him and seek to enter into His rest.

At this point, I really want to be an encourager--an encourager that says, "Cast your cares on the Lord"(1 Peter 5:7)! I can not do that for someone else.
At the end of the day, we all need to seek the Lord for ourselves. It is great to have a friend to rely on, but if we get rid of our worries by taking them to Jesus first, we will be able to encourage others, and truly enter into the rest of God. That's the kind of encourager I want to be!