“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
Where is the rest and relaxation that is so vital to human health? It is so easy to feel overwhelmed in our lives. At home, school, work, church, and in all other commitments so much is demanded of us . . . or at least expected.
What heavy weights we carry . . . laborious to the point of physical and spiritual exhaustion. Here is the mystery: no matter the source of our “yoke” (either physical or spiritual), it affects us both spiritually and physically. Don’t you see? It is not simply the expectations and workloads that presses in on us, but the anxieties associated with them.
From time to time, we may feel like a heavily loaded ox, treading slowly back and forth with the same boring routines and labors. Yet, Jesus invited us to unload our burdens . . . remove our yokes. And I know this is easier said than done, yet it is an issue of trust. Do we believe that He will give us rest? Do we trust him to take care of the issues involved?
Jesus said, “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The invitation is clear: Remove your harsh, rough yoke and put on my easy, comfortable one. Remove your heavy, oppressive burden and put on my light one. He wants to empower us with joy and strength. He wants to enable us to achieve his purpose for our lives.
We must remember that He is the miracle worker . . . we are only his servants yielded to his Spirit. We can do all things through Christ who empowers and enables us. Why do we take on more responsibility than we are able? Why don’t we release the yokes and burdens of our lives into his keeping?
He will do what He has promised: give rest for our souls!
Dear Father, thank you for Jesus Christ our Lord whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. Strengthen us to unleash ourselves from the yokes and burdens of this life and yield to his. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today in the rest that Jesus gives,