Jesus Wants to Share Your Load
By Rick Warren
“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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)
Are you feeling overloaded? You may be trying to control things too much. We do it all the time, sometimes without realizing it. Even when we don’t try to, we act subconsciously as if it all depends on us. We have to hold everything together. We have to make it all happen.
The greater your need to control things, the more overloaded, stressed, and empty you’re going to be in life. You have to learn to give up control!
When you come to Jesus because you’re running on empty, this is the next step of obedience: “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 NIV).
When you get fed up, it’s time to give up control.
A yoke is not the middle of an egg (that’s a yolk) but the wooden frame that you put over two animals so they can pull a piece of farm equipment together. When you already feel like you’re carrying a heavy load, taking on Jesus’ yoke may sound like more of a burden. Why would you want to take on a different yoke and keep pulling?
The purpose of a yoke is to lighten the load, not to make a heavier load. Sharing a yoke means sharing the load you’re carrying. When two animals team up together, it makes the load lighter, not heavier.
When you’re not yoked to Jesus, you can easily move at a pace that’s too fast and go off in a ditch. But if you’re yoked to him, then there’s no way he’s going to let you outpace yourself, and he’s not going to let you go off in a ditch.
A yoke makes the load lighter, and it keeps you from getting in trouble. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (NIV).
You keep in step with God’s Spirit by being yoked to Jesus—partnering with him and letting him set the pace. Jesus was never in a hurry, and you won’t be either when you’re connected to him.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Discover God’s Answers to Life’s Tough Questions!
What’s the best way to cope with stress? Rebound from failure? Defeat depression? Or have peace of mind?
Pastor Rick shares the answers to these tough questions and much more in his book God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions.
In it, Pastor Rick takes you to God’s Word for answers to twelve of life’s toughest questions, drawing from the examples of people in the Bible who faced the same challenges we face today.
God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions is our thanks for your gift to help reach more people through Daily Hope—so request your copy of this transformative resource when you give below.
Thank you for your support!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
