Jesus spoke to people who had given up on religion. People who were burnt out from trying (and failing) to stick to a long list of rules and regulations. Here's what He said to them: ‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light’ (v.28-30 CEV). A ‘yoke’ was a type of harness that went around the necks of two oxen so they could work together to pull a heavy plough. In each team of oxen, one was the leader and the other would follow. Accepting Jesus' yoke means He'll take the lead, but we have to stay in sync with Him to find real peace. He promises His yoke won’t choke us; it won’t be overwhelming or confining, and we won’t be irritated or harmed by it. In fact, if we want to be truly free, we have to let ourselves be yoked to Jesus by submitting our will to His. It sounds strange to say that'll bring freedom, but when we allow Him to guide us, we're freed from wondering if we're doing the right thing, worrying what other people think of us, and doubting our ability for the task He's chosen. It doesn’t work to accept Christ’s yoke for a while and then start pulling the other way when things don’t go the way we want. When we do that, the load gets heavier and we start to feel worn out. Peace and rest come when we relax and let Christ lead. Relax or resist – which will you choose?

What Now?

Do you tend to relax into God’s guidance and go with Him, or resist and pull against Him? If you know you sometimes try to do our own thing, ask Him to help you trust more and let Him set the pace and lead the way.