So many things of this life can really weigh us down. It might be our fears, worries, and a gazillion anxieties and cares that are such heavy burdens we may be bearing. Thank goodness, there is a better way! In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” What does this verse mean? I think it means that we can be yoked to the things of this world OR we can choose to be yoked to Christ. Draft cattle wore yokes when plowing. We, too, can wear "yokes" when we are working and doing life. If we are not careful, however, we may choose to yoke ourselves alone (we will lose balance) or we may choose to yoke ourselves to other burdens or bondage objects like toxic thinking, addictions, perfectionism, performance mentalities, legalism, or our own identity of who the world says we should be - which will all bring us down. Yokes provide ease when worn appropriately and fitted nicely as designed. Yokes also create a "draft" where we are drawn in the right, proper direction when walking with Christ. For me, I was yoked in my life to the worldly idea that I could do life by myself with an "I got this, God" kind of mentality. I have also been yoked to toxic thinking, totally discounting that I have the mind of Christ. In all scenarios, it is never too late to take off the yoke that binds, that is heavy, and that makes our lives miserable and extremely difficulty to "do." If you are weary (and you know if that is you!) there is a different way that can actually energize and empower you in new and exciting ways! You can take up Christ's easy and light yoke, following Him as He leads the way. Then as you work and do life, you actually will find the REST FOR YOUR SOUL (your mind and emotions) that no other yoke could ever offer much less provide! God bless you on your journey! I am so grateful that Jesus gave us this image of a yoke to remind us that there is a better way with Him! SIDE NOTE: The yoke in my video actually weighs 27 pounds! Rico comes in at 4.5. :) Our thoughts are so amazingly powerful. According to neuroscience, our repeated thoughts change the very proteins in our brain, which over time affects our attitudes and actions. This is really, really great news especially if we are hoping to overcome a bad habit or mindset or if we want to walk out each day of our life in love. The Creator of the universe created us and we are made in His image. This means we, too, have been designed to create. In a literal sense, we can tap into our bliss, explore what we enjoy doing (like baking, writing, painting, photography, crafting...). We can have a whole lot of fun chasing our passions! This same ability to create in a physical way can also be applied in a metaphysical way. In an emotional and spiritual sense, we can choose thoughts that line up with God's Truth which helps us to create a reality that is based in love, not fear; health not sickness; peace, not chaos. It's like a card game. Our thoughts and emotions play a "suit," and our actions and behavior must follow the suit (unless we have a Trump card in hand). In other words, we can make the decision to "choose life" (Dt. 30:19) with every thought we have. This practice shifts us away from self and helps us develop a deeply grateful positioning and perspective. We line ourselves up to help and serve others, to pour ourselves out, to lift others up, to admire and applaud their pursuits. It's so much more than WWJD. It's What Would Jesus Think. We have the mind of Christ--all the Truth Trump Cards for every suit! We are capable to overcome the obstacles we face, the addictions and trappings of our flesh, the negative thoughts and insidious roots of our heart that nourish them. And if this isn't enough - we have the Spirit of God to comfort us, to help us, and to remind us of the Truth. We are not alone as we choose to create an existence for ourselves and others that is lined up with God's calling on our lives. What, then, are we waiting for? Freedom's calling. It's time to build! Let's commit to demolishing everything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and to taking every single thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). There is an appointed time for everything. "If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair." --CS Lewis That's worth pondering! We established early on that many of the ways humans attempt to find comfort may be self-destructive and counterfeit. These methods may offer temporary relief and distraction, but in the end, they do not deliver comfort. For Christians, finding lasting comfort under trial and tribulation, when we misstep, when we are in need of healing, and when we grieve will only come first when we seek Truth. What does this mean? Well, I think this means that in the midst of our quest for comfort, we must recognize the Truth and hold tightly to it. We would do well to critically and carefully analyze our thought life. Is our inner dialogue reflective of the Truth of God's Word, His character, His ways? Or are we believing toxic lies about our situation? Do our actions reflect our deep trust in the Lord or are we grappling to be self-sufficient with an "I got this, Lord. Let me handle it" attitude? Do we find ourselves naturally gravitating toward self-focus and self-pity when times are hard? Let me give a personal example. I have dealt with a deep root of rejection in my life. (If you have ever been a people-pleaser, high achiever, goal getter, controller, out-of-balance workaholic, always trying to prove yourself....maybe you can relate.) [Geesh! Where is Rico when I need him?!] Just recently, I felt the sting of rejection from a friend. Thankfully and with God's help, I have learned to be quick to recognize my thoughts and stay finely in tune with my feelings and emotions so that I can catch the lies and isolate my toxic thinking. Of course, in these moments, I want relief. I want comfort. I want to escape my feelings and conclusions because they are painful to my soul. Did someone say chocolate ice cream? Netflix? And this is what I think the CS Lewis quote is suggesting. If we search for comfort without vetting our quest through Truth, we won't find it. We often end up much worse than when we started. It's no wonder we can find ourselves in a cycle of sin and addiction or in a loop of discomfort looking for quick-fix comfort which only leads to more discomfort. And for some, it leads to despair. But there is hope. If we start from the vantage point of Truth, and we stay in the Truth, we might find comfort when we...
If we do these types of Truth seeking action items, we may notice that our thoughts, feelings, and emotions will follow suit. We may feel revived, joyful, healed, with renewed hope and deeply, deeply thankful. So when we find ourselves searching for comfort, may we back up just a bit to make sure that if we want a comfort that lasts, our search must begin with Truth. And fortunately, this Truth is not hard to find! The LORD is near to all who call on him, |
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