His Yoke is Easy

Like you, I have experienced my share of what a 16th century Spanish poet referred to as the "dark night of the soul." As I lamented to the Lord during one of those times of profound trial, God reminded me that He was answering my prayer of some 17 years, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts and see if there be any wicked (pain, sorrow, idol) way in me and lead me in the way everlasting"(Ps. 139:23-24). 

I have a memory of, for various reasons, being offended with dad when I was just a kindergartner. While different aspects of the offense may have had merit, other aspects did not. But nonetheless, I was offended and a bitter root took hold in my  heart. I declared in my heart that I didn't need him, that I would take care of myself. That's one horrible aspect of bitterness, it causes us to steel ourselves against the perceived "offender," walling off our hearts from others.

Years ago I had repented of that bitter root towards my father realizing that no matter the reason for the offense, I was responsible before God to forgive. Today we share a sweet relationship free from offense. 

Several years ago, as I prayed the Psalm 139 prayer, I had the sense that there remained some unfinished business regarding the bitter root against my father. I spoke out loud to the Lord, proclaiming that I had already forgiven my dad. What else was there?

As I listened, the Lord reminded me of the second aspect of that bitter judgment...."I will take care of myself." That internal determination was what the Bible refers to as a vow. At that moment, at just 6 years old, I made a vow that I would be for myself what God alone was meant to be. I, in essence, usurped God's authority and became what God alone was designed to be for me: "...The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation my stronghold (Psalm 18:1-2)."

This vow set a dark corner of my heart on a trajectory that would leave me with the tendency to not only carry and take care of myself, but would develop in me the tendency to pick up and carry just about anyone else who came along. In the end, I gave myself an emotional and spiritual hernia. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites those of us who are weary whether from carrying people, worrying about people, stressing over finances, our marriage, etc., to come to Him and He will give us rest.

When I surrendered my life to the Lord over 25 years ago and set my heart on a passionate pursuit of His heart, His ways, His Word, I thought I had taken up His yoke, and in certain areas of my heart I had. But, the exhaustion I experienced after over three decades of usurping God's authority in that area of my heart where I had vowed to be my own rock, fortress, shield, deliverer, and strength (and anyone else I decided to load on my back!) was crushing the life out of me. The Lord, in His lovingkindness, brought to light that area of my heart that was so heavy laden. I knew that if I allowed Him to lead me in His way concerning that heavy laden area of my  heart, I would experience a greater measure of liberty. The more liberty I (we) experience, the more liberty we are able to impart to others, all bringing glory to God. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. "
(John 8:36) It was up to me to choose to walk in the freedom afforded me in Christ.

Jesus encourages us: "'Come unto Me, all you who labor (grow weary, tire, exhausted (with toil, or burdens, or grief); to labor with wearisome effort; from Greek root kopos meaning: a beating of the breast with grief, sorrow, labor, trouble; intense labor united with trouble and toil) and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength; to give rest; refresh; to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation). Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek: mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries; submissive to the divine will; not proud, self-sufficient or refractory~obstinate; not peevish and apt to complain of divine dispensations) and lowly (humble: lowly; modest; meek; submissive; opposed to proud, haughty, arrogant or assuming) in heart (the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors; of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence; of the will and character; of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions), and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'" Matthew 11:28-30.

Taking His yoke, virtually, is an act of surrender. If you have ever seen a team of oxen in a yoke, there is usually a larger, stronger ox on one side and a younger, weaker ox on the other. The stronger ox steers the yoke and bears much of the burden of that yoke, teaching the younger as it does so. 

Jesus is all-powerful, His grace is sufficient, His way is life. He is inviting us to learn His way of humility. It is through humility we surrender to the One Who is the Way (John 14:6). 

It struck me that the Hebrew sense of the word "lowly" means "not proud, self-sufficient, or refractory." The vow I made at 6 years old, was contrary to His way because I was choosing to become self-sufficient in that wounded area of my heart, rather than surrendering that pain, fear, and devastation to Him. 

Self-sufficiency is a form of idolatry. At the root of idolatry is pride. Choosing our way, placing our affections, passions, inclinations on something other than God is prideful. Idolatry always produces bondage. We tend to build a fortress around that wounded area of our hearts, in my case, out of the pain of not being taken care of in a way that made me feel safe, I built my own fortress of protection. This was my way of dealing with my pain. I exalted my way above God's way.

Elevating our will, our way, our selves above God and His way places us outside the grace of God in whatever area of life we are practicing self-sufficiency (God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble, James 4:6). Living outside the grace of God is a laborious way to live. It takes a lot of energy to operate in a capacity in which only God is equipped to operate. 

Self sufficiency can manifest in many ways."I will take care of myself." "I will cope (addictions) as I see fit." "I will be successful" (nothing wrong with that, except if the attitude is that I will exalt myself)...just to name a few.

Once I repented of that vow and renounced it, God's grace was released in that area of my heart. God's grace was always available and sufficient, I chose not to receive it in that area of my heart when I exalted my way above His. Repentance allowed God's grace flow into that wounded area producing healing and restoration.

When Jesus spoke the words recorded in Matthew 11:28-30, He was quoting Jeremiah 6:16. Walking in the way of the Lord was not a new concept, He was simply reminding His listeners of what He had already spoken years and years before: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand in the ways (way, road, distance, journey, manner; path, direction; habit; course of life; of moral character) and see (look at, inspect, perceive, consider; regard; observe; give attention to, discern, distinguish; gaze at; behold; to look at each other, face), and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest (cessation of motion or action of any kind, and applicable to any body or being; as rest from labor; rest from mental exertion; rest of body or mind; a body is at rest, when it ceases to move; the mind is at rest, when it ceases to be disturbed or agitated; quiet; a state of reconciliation to God) for your souls,’ but they said, 'we will not walk in it.'”

We enter into His rest as we walk in His way of humility, as we take His yoke, as we surrender to Him. As we learn His ways, the most precious gift we receive is that we cultivate a deeper intimacy with Him (the primary reason for life!) and then we are able to impart His life to others.