What is good and satisfying is counterintuitive.

Can I be real for a moment?

I never want to go and visit a brother or sister, but I leave with such joy.

I never want to pick up the phone and talk with a beloved, but I’m always glad I did.

I never want to be bothered with what other people are struggling with. I’ve got my own problems. But, service gives me life.

The inclination when I’m tired or dejected is to do something for myself: to take “me time”, to largely abandon consideration of others and to attempt to gratify myself by eating something tasty, binge watching TV, etcetera, etcetera.

More often than not, it leaves me emptier than I was before.

But urgings of the Holy Spirit that, in my flesh, I thought would have been burdensome, in truth, turn out to be the very things that energize me!

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
— 1 John 5:3

This is not something that naturally occurs to me. I only come to the knowledge of this truth when I obey.

A wonderful example of this is in John 4 where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. He’s tired and hungry. His disciples go and buy food. They bring it to Him, urging Jesus to eat but He was so excited by sharing Life, His response was, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” — John 4:34

This is what I glean from this:

Am I hungry? Is my soul weary and need refreshment?

To be filled, I’ve got to eat and Jesus shows that eating is obedience.

Eating is to do the will of God and to participate in His work.

That’s fulfilling.

This is not apparent to the natural man. I must trust and obey, exercising myself into godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).

That’s where I will find the rest and refreshment that my soul truly desires.