When You Feel Empty

Read

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Think

Some days you wake up ready to give—your heart is full, your energy is high, and you feel like you’ve got something to offer. But other days? You feel empty. Worn out. Depleted. Like the idea of showing love to anyone, even the people you care about most, feels like a stretch.

The truth is, even the most faithful follower of Jesus runs low. We get tired. We pour out in conversations, in caregiving, in ministry, in parenting, in just holding it together—and then wonder why love doesn’t come as naturally as it did before. You’re not weak for feeling that. You’re human. Jesus understands what it feels like to live in a world that constantly asks more of you. That’s why his invitation in Matthew 11:28 is so personal and powerful. He doesn’t say, “Try harder.” He says, “Come to me.” He doesn’t say, “Get yourself together.” He says, “I will give you rest.” Not a task list. Not a motivational speech. Just rest. Just him.

The reason so many of us struggle to love well is not because we don’t care—it’s because we don’t pause. We try to love without being filled. We try to give without receiving. But fruit doesn’t grow without connection to the vine. And Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” That includes love. Especially love.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is stop. Not forever. But long enough to remember where love comes from. It doesn’t come from your willpower. It doesn’t come from your personality. It flows from the Spirit of God who lives in you. But that connection needs space. That relationship needs tending. If you're always pouring and never resting, you will run dry. This isn’t a guilt trip. This is a lifeline. The love God calls you to show others is the same love he wants to show you. But you have to let him. You have to return to the well. You have to slow down long enough to be reminded that you are not the source—he is.

So what do you do when you feel empty? You come back. Not to a routine. Not to a performance. To a person. You sit still. You let the silence remind you that you’re safe. You let his Word fill your thoughts instead of your to-do list. You breathe deeply and remember that he’s not asking you to be impressive—he’s inviting you to be with him. And from that place of rest, love begins to rise again. Not the strained, pressured kind. The quiet, grounded, genuine kind. The kind that can give again, not out of obligation, but out of overflow.

Today, if love feels far away, don’t beat yourself up. Let that emptiness become an open door. Let it draw you back to the One who doesn’t need you to prove anything—just to come close. You don’t have to fake love when you’re full of it. And the only way to be full is to return to the source.

Apply

Block out ten minutes today to be quiet before God. No phone. No agenda. Just bring your tired, empty, “over-it” self to Jesus. Ask him to fill you—not with adrenaline or answers, but with himself.

Pray

Jesus, I don’t have a lot to offer today. I feel tired, stretched, and a little disconnected. But I know you are the source of love. So I come to you—not to perform, but to be filled again. Meet me in the quiet and remind me that I am yours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.