Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:29
If this passage seems very familiar, that’s because it is part of the one highlighted in last week’s Sunday Soaking. There was just more truth to squeeze out before moving on!
The word “yoke” brings up memories of two oxen chained together, walking in a circle, and going nowhere. Pretty much describes the self-imposed yokes we often put upon ourselves – or allow others to thrust upon us.
His yoke, in contrast, is love, peace, and righteousness in Christ. It’s described as “easy” in verse 30.
The phrase “learn from me” offers hope to this Type-A girl. Learning to be comfortable with the easy and light way He offers is a process. After wearing the striving-and-doing yoke for so long, the one fashioned of love and peace seems too light and too easy … sometimes awkward because it’s so strange and unfamiliar.
Can it be this simple?
Shouldn’t I be working harder … and perhaps expecting more of others?
The old yoke – of doing more, getting my way, and winning at any cost – feels comfortable because it’s familiar. As it is lifted and replaced with the new way of thinking and behaving, the “light and easy” can feel a bit too, well, light and easy. As we learn from Him, we come to realize a light and easy yoke fits and feels nice. No blisters or callouses. No staggering under the weight of it, or working to carry something too heavy for us … something He never asked us to carry, but a burden we just loaded up on our own.
Are you weary of trying to remember why you are angry, of continuing to stoke old fires? Is that grudge you are carrying only growing heavier through the years? Are you overwhelmed, trying to meet the needs of everyone in your world while ignoring your own? Does life feel like it has zero margin? Are you rationalizing your existence and tallying up your good deeds to assess your worth?
STOP IT.
Breathe.
Focus.
Come to the One who has already won the battle. The One whose sacrifice has already ensured you are enough in Him. The reality is that you and I could stack yoke upon yoke, keep trying to walk and do and be more and it would never, ever be enough. That’s the point, really. Only in Him can we be declared righteous. Only in Him can we find real love and lasting peace. It’s not about what we do. It’s all about who we know. Do you know Him? Do you believe He is enough? Does your behavior match up with your belief?
So what’s it gonna be? His yoke or your own? Easy and light, or hard and heavy? Choosing which to put on is a daily decision. Which do you choose to wear today?
For this week’s devotional video, it’s a joy to have Bri Hess from Cross Church sharing insights from Exodus 33:14. Listen now to be reminded that no matter the season in life – or the challenge that season brings — it is the constant, abiding presence of God that brings us REST:
If you aren’t writing along with us this June, we invite you to begin now. Visit our Downloads page for your own copy of this month’s Write the WORD: REST bookmark, optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, and more free resources to help you balance your heart for God with the demands of a busy life and home.
