Some people work very hard to make their lives easier. Necessity may sometimes be the mother of invention, but laziness also motivates inventive creativity. A desire for ease or a lighter load pushes us to find simpler ways to accomplish tasks.
Something in your life right now seems hard. Tomorrow may bring an added burden. Jesus says, “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).
These verses convey a wonderful truth, but they are not a promise that life will be smooth. As you consider the lives of the human writers of the New Testament, you know their days weren’t easy. If we can understand what Christ is actually teaching, however, we will find rest for our souls.
His first words here are, “Come to me.” For true rest, we need to turn to Christ. We may think we’re turning to him when we pray, but sometimes our prayers are requests for what we believe to be the perfect solution to our burden; then we turn to our human reasoning and desires and effort to work out that solution. Recognize instead that when Christ says, “Come to me,” he is not saying, “Tell me what you want.” He follows with the words, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” He doesn’t say, “Throw away all yokes.” Some Christians seem to believe that peace and rest are found by ridding themselves of responsibility, but taking Christ’s yoke implies the responsibility of serving with him. The instruction to learn from him places accountability on us. The peace and rest he offers are not found by eliminating a yoke and refusing to learn; they come from yoking ourselves to him and learning more of him. We must believe that his way is the correct way, the just way, the only way that makes sense. A yoke is easy if the creatures sharing it are in step, headed the same direction, working together. If one participant in the yoke insists on a different direction, however, that yoke will not be easy or light.
If your load is heavy today, go to Christ. Learn more of him; choose to walk in the direction he is leading; serve him, and find rest for your soul.