How much weight can you carry? 35 pounds? 50? 100? Each person’s ability is determined by many factors, but our capacity is limited.
What about the weight of your loved one’s illness? The death of a friend? A messy divorce? Chronic pain? Do the news headlines crush your heart? How many of these can your soul bear?
My heart is carrying the stress of my husband’s illness. The unknown presses down on me. What if this is more serious than we know? What if the doctor makes the wrong choice? When will he get well? How long until we can know he will be okay?
The more these thoughts run through my head, the more challenging the burden becomes. I watch the news, and recent events add to that load: our chaotic government, a war-filled world, innocence stolen, morals upside down, and hearts filled with hate. The trials of family members and other loved ones increase the pressure, and my soul gets weary.
Many face more formidable problems than I do, causing anxiety and depression, and sometimes they escape into addictions. But this baggage is more than we can handle in our strength.
Jesus gives us this invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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 11:28-30 NIV).
How many reading this feel fatigued or overwhelmed by the concerns in your heart? I’m guessing most of us do these days: especially since we now know about every bad thing happening all over the world.
Jesus invites us all to come to Him in faith. First, we must believe in Him as our Savior. We come accepting His gift of eternal life, knowing we’re lost on our own. Scripture teaches, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NIV).
Once we know we’re His, we still must come to Him in faith with our problems and worries. He says, “Come to me,” not to the world, alcohol, food, distractions, entertainment, human wisdom, mind-numbing drugs, or other escapes. He calls us to come to Him. He is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6 NIV).
When we wearily come to Jesus with our load of worries, He promises to give us rest. He provides relief and helps us take a deep breath, realizing we’re not alone. When I begin to struggle with cumbersome concerns, I can come to Jesus. When I’m striving to solve problems in my strength or working to fix them, I can come to Jesus. I lay my burdens at His feet and feel the weight fall off my shoulders.
One of Jesus’s closest apostles, Peter, taught, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). Once I throw my worries to my Lord Jesus, I can rest in Him, knowing He has me in His care. Then I’m ready to listen and learn from Him.
A yoke is “a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull.” By being yoked together, they can pull a much heavier load. Jesus uses this analogy to show us how He wants us to live.
He calls us to take His “yoke” on us and let Him bear the weight. We don’t have to do it alone. Unlike two oxen who share the load when they pull, Jesus carries the bulk of our load as we follow His lead.
To take the yoke of Jesus, we must give up other yokes. Peter spoke up when early Jewish believers attempted to require non-Jewish believers to follow Jewish law. “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No, we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved, just as they are” (Acts 15:10-11 NIV). We need to let go of the yoke of legalism.
For some, it may be the yoke of worry as you carry the burden of “what if.” Others bear the yoke of perfectionism, fear, people-pleasing, or the illusion of being in control. Whatever the yoke is, Jesus calls us to lay it down and take His yoke.
Taking the yoke of Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t have problems or that nothing will be required of us. We connect to Him as His disciples, meaning we are willing to obey Him even if it means facing persecution and hardship. We yield to His leading and let Him guide us, knowing He will never leave us, and He will always give us what we need.
Jesus instructs us to learn from His gentle, meek spirit and His humble heart. This spirit was clearly shown when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of riding in, as a king would, on a horse (Matthew 21:5).
As we follow Him, He teaches us to be humble as He is humble. Humility is a theme throughout the New Testament. It teaches, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NIV). Taking His yoke requires that we admit we can’t live the Christian life in our own strength. We must continually submit to His Spirit as we depend on Him.
Other Scriptures calling us to be humble like Jesus: Matthew 23:12; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3-11; Colossians 3:12; James 4:10; 1 Peter 3:8, 5:5-6.
Jesus promises us that when we are walking in His strength, we will find rest for our souls. We have peace knowing we are secure in Christ.
Rest from striving to earn favor.
From seeking perfection.
From trying to be “good enough.”
From working for salvation.
To resting in, “It is finished” (John 19:28-30).
The work is done.
Salvation is yours.
Eternal life is secured.
God’s love is unfailing.
Why is His yoke easy? Because He has already paid the price for our sins and secured our place in heaven. Our debt is paid in full. He promises to work through us to do His will. He carries the weight as we lean on Him.
His burden is light because He has promised, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV). Even when hard things happen, we can trust He will fulfill His purposes on earth.
Prayer
Jesus, by faith I lean on You and trust that You have paid for my sins and made me holy and righteous in Your sight. I trust You to help with my weaknesses. I trust You that I will not be mastered by anything but You. I trust You to help me bear the burden of the world's condition and our nation’s future—the uncertainties, the worries. You have it covered already, and You’re not wringing Your hands.
I trust You with those who don’t know You yet and face an eternity separated from You. I trust You with all who are experiencing broken relationships, grief, pain, sickness, turmoil, anxiety, crushed dreams, addictions, poverty, loss of income, wayward children, broken hearts, sadness, rejection, abuse, loneliness, fear, doubt, and more.
All this You will help us carry if we come to You and learn from You. Help us submit our hearts to Your care. You’re the only one who can give us real rest and true peace. In Your name, I pray. Amen
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Susan Aken writes devotions and articles for Wholly Loved Ministries, is an Oklahoma native who’s lived in Nebraska since 1987 and has been in public education for over thirty years. She and her husband have one son and a wonderful daughter-in-law. Besides writing she has a passion for special needs and prayer ministries. She enjoys time with family, reading, photography, movies, walking in nature, and a nice cup of tea. She believes life is a journey and we’re all in different places. Jesus is everything to her and it’s all about grace. Visit her at susanaken53.wordpress.com or on Facebook.