DAY 41 of #100daysofJesus - Take My Yoke Upon You

 

DAY 41 of #100daysofJesus

One of Jesus' most powerful invitations was:

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

The clear invitation is to come unto Jesus for rest and peace, but it wasn't until this year that I understood HOW we are to come unto Jesus.

The metaphor of a yoke brings to mind two oxen yoked together to pull a heavy load. The yoke allows them to combine their strength, and together they are greater than the sum of their individual efforts.

I used to think of Jesus' invitation as Him being willing to jump into the yoke with us and help us pull, relieving us of our heavy burden. Logically, that's how we would find rest, right? No - that's not what He taught.

He says we must do two things: (1) take HIS yoke upon us, and (2) learn of Him.

Wait just a minute! Taking HIS YOKE upon us is supposed to give us rest? Wouldn't that just add to the burdens we're already carrying? Doesn't 1 + 1 = 2?

This is one of the best kept secrets of Christian discipleship - and it shouldn't be a secret! This is what Jesus meant when he taught, "whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

As we take His work upon us and actively get involved in serving our fellowman as His disciples, he blesses us with a joy beyond any other joy we can find in life, and a rest deeper than any retirement could offer.

I've felt this joy and experienced this rest. It was unquestionably present while I served for two years as a missionary in the Dominican Republic. It's also been clearly felt as I've served in various church callings since then and especially as I've served in the temple and participated in family history research.

Jesus' peace lifts our burdens not by making them vanish but by enlarging our perspective and filling us with faith and hope. Service helps us look outside of ourselves, and that outward focus brings inner peace.

Are you carrying a heavy burden?

Could you use rest from your worries?

Are you willing to turn to Jesus for that relief?

If so, start learning of Him and get involved! You won't have to look far to see those in need of your love and ministering.

His promise is true. Take His yoke and find rest to your soul.

(References: Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:25)