Did you know we can actually exchange our burdens for Jesus’ rest?
Jesus told us,
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30 NLT, italics mine)
Previous Parts to Finding a Rhythm of Rest in a World of Busyness and Burnout:
A Built-in Alarm System
There is a built-in alarm system inside of me that goes off whenever I step outside the “borders of grace” or simply put, God’s will for my life. It dates back to early 2004. I was very involved at my church…too involved you might say. Is it possible to do too much for God? Absolutely! Let me explain. On one particular weekend, I was scheduled to attend a college ministry training event but instead, a few hours before I was set to travel, I crumpled into a heap on the floor and cried like a baby for two hours. I was experiencing a minor nervous breakdown. Obviously, the training was now out of the question – I was a mess, but what instigated this mini-breakdown?
I was operating outside the borders of grace.
Psalm 16 says it superbly, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” (Psalm 16:6, NIV). How do we know if we are operating within the borders of grace? Simply put, we will feel full not empty! In Jesus’ words, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34).
There is empowerment from heaven to do the will of God.
Oswald Chambers said it best,
“Whenever there is the experience of weariness or degradation, you may be certain you have done one of two things – either you have disregarded a law of nature, or you have deliberately got out of touch with God.”
Whatever I was experiencing certainly didn’t feel “delightful.” Leading up to that episode, I blew right past the warning signs: sleepless nights, waves of anxiety, and feeling down and depressed. This wasn’t normal for me. In fact, I had never felt that way before. This wasn’t a chemical imbalance; it was the result of poor and choices on my part that led to burnout.
In the days to follow, Jesus began to talk to me about the state of my life. The responsibilities I had taken on were dizzying. I was newly married, working full-time, pioneering a college and career ministry through our church, and my wife and I were leading the church’s entire worship ministry to boot! As I began to seek Jesus about what was happening, He was eager to tell me – not all the things I was doing were His will. I had taken on responsibilities that He had not asked me to do. I was wearing a yoke, but not His yoke (at least not all of it)! His voice clearly flooded my soul, “You didn’t get into this mess overnight and you are not going to get out of it overnight.” Slowly, over the course of several months, as I let go of some things and focused on Jesus and His will for me, I began to feel healthy again.
Whose Yoke Are You Wearing?
In Scripture, a yoke refers to servitude or obligation. That doesn’t sound like a good thing, but the word picture here is beautiful, “Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). A yoke is a collar-like frame fitted to go over the neck and the shoulders of two animals. In this scenario, Jesus is our stronger “older brother” who shoulders the majority of the burden for us. As the late Matthew Henry said, His yoke is not a heavy burden but rather “A yoke lined with love.” Taking on His yoke doesn’t release us from service, it frees us to walk in relationship – releasing us from the weighty burden of sin and self-effort. Simply put,
Jesus invites us to exchange our burdens for His rest.
What a great deal. We cash in our weariness, burdens, anxieties, sin and shame for His rest and refreshment! When you take on things that are outside of His will, you are operating in your own strength. This is one of the surest ways to burnout. The good is the enemy of the best. There are many reasons we take on yokes or obligations outside of His will for us, here are a few,
- Insecurity that results in feeling like we need to please God or other people
- Pride that leads us to believe we can do it all
- An upbringing where we had to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps”
- A lack of understanding about His will and desire for our lives
- A lack of knowledge about ourselves, our gifts, and our strengths and weaknesses
- Neglecting prayer before taking on new responsibilities
Selah
If you are feeling burdened, weary or heavy laden, it could be that you are not wearing His yoke but another not of His making. Take some time today to ask Him about any adjustments you need to make.
Try this: write down everything you are currently “doing for God.” Pray through the list and ask Him, is there anything I’m doing that you have not asked me to do? Is there anything I need to let go of? Is there anything not on this list that you would like me to do?
If you do not feel weary and heavy laden, ask Him to refresh you anyway and take time to receive His rest. It’s also good time to re-evaluate His will for your life and to ensure you are in the sweet spot of His will so you can be healthy and effective for His kingdom!
If you like this, consider sharing it! See links below…
