Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. Mathew 11:29
The Lord has invited us into a partnership with Him. He wants to co-labor with us. Jesus wants us to draw near, come under and learn from Him. This invitation is a continual relationship with Him. There are two words in this verse that give us a choice to respond: TAKE and LEARN.
God wants to reveal and show us how to live a better life. It’s true – we become like those we spend time with, and as we spend more time with Jesus we will learn His ways and naturally become more like Him. As we come under His gentle and perfect leadership and soak in His ways and His perspectives, He promises that we will find the rest that our hearts are yearning for.
I’m learning to recognize the warning signs that surface when I try to live my life my way and fight my own battles. Relief and refreshment are almost never a result of this kind of living. Instead, I get exhausted, irritated, sad and disappointed just to name a few. Our exhaustion, irritation, sadness and disappointment is the very playground the enemy loves to meet us in. And he will meet us for that playdate, every time.
BUT GOD…..God has a better way. The invitation has been given to you and to me, and it’s simply a matter of whether or not we will accept, show up, and do the work. Taking on His yoke will safeguard our hearts and emotions.
If you haven’t looked up the word “yoke” before, please do. This verse came to life for me as I saw a visual of what a yoke is and its purpose. Jesus’ command to take His yoke is His invitation to discipleship. To come under and become a student.
Life is hard, and I know you know this. With all that comes our way we may not always find ourselves with a gentle and humble heart. But I want to tell you that this heart posture is possible. Our response to people and situations who have hurt, abandoned, or betrayed us can indeed be Christ-like as we stay under His yoke and trust Him. It’s imperative that we stay yoked with the One who is gentle and humble so that we may learn to live in peace, regardless of the war waging around us.
God’s Word promises REST. He never promised a “happy” life or a life without pain. He promises REST.
Rest is a priceless treasure we can take hold of by trusting Jesus and coming under His yoke and being a student of His ways. True rest is something we receive, it can not be bought. Rest is proportionate to our trusting in Him.
It takes intentional living to stay under the yoke and trust God’s purpose and plan for our life. We have an enemy who will do everything to distract and attempt to pull us away from our source of rest.
Let’s commit to laying our burdens down. Let’s not fight back or answer our critics. Let’s be slow to anger and not seek revenge. May we set our perspective straight day and night, not complaining about our circumstance, but praising God for the good plan He already has in place for our lives. Let’s keep silent and let the Lord fight for us. He will give us rest in the midst of the storm. This is possible, under His yoke.
Friend, you are so loved and the Creator of your soul has invited you to come under Him and desires to give you rest, regardless of what keeps you up at night. Let’s take on His yoke and be committed to being a student and living a life of rest.
Kelli
You can read more of Kelli’s writing on Instagram at Kelli Trontel.
