Beth Lineberry

Calvary Baptist Church 

1-25-12

Matthew 11:29-30

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. (NIV)

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. (The Message)

Do you sometimes feel like everything is on your shoulders?

That “it’s all up to you?”

Is it up to you to:

Manage your energy?

Manage your time?

Have a healthy lifestyle?

Manage your family’s schedules?

Keep yourself spiritually up—prayed up, studied up, read up?

Keep everyone you love—love tank filled up?

Keep up the relationships that are meaningful to you?

Use your gifts and abilities in helping and ministering to others?

The list goes on and I’M ALREADY TIRED!

This New Year brought an interesting perspective for me. Each year I spend a little time in prayer and thought asking the Lord if there is some kind of resolution I should make. I don’t always make New Year’s resolutions but some years it just seems like the right thing to do.

This year I found my heart getting heavier and heavier as I looked toward the New Year and all it might hold for me. I found myself not wanting to make plans or commit my time, energy or talents to hardly anything. This is typically NOT my personality. I’m typically a “doer” and a “go-er”.

During one of my prayer times I believe the Lord revealed to me that I was facing the year with fear. l remembered that last year I made some resolutions I was not able to keep and I didn’t want to do that again. It feels like failure.

I realized that my resolutions were really a way of trying to have more control over my life. And last year several things happened that were way beyond my control—my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, two of my children moved, our youngest son got married, two friends lost their young sons to tragic deaths. How do you plan for all of that?!

The Lord and I had a dialogue that went something like this:

Me: Lord, is there something I should resolve to do this year? I’m afraid I will over commit and I will be tired and worn out. What if I organize and plan and it’s “too much”?

Jesus: You can quit. You are not stuck!

Me: Yes, I don’t like to quit and not follow through. But I could back out of some things if it’s the right thing to do. But what if I’m spiritually tired and don’t have anything from my heart to give? What if there is no overflow?

Jesus: Well then, can you just show up?

Beth: Yes, I can show up.

Jesus: Can you trust me to give you all the energy, insight, overflow that you will need when the time comes? Can you trust me to be there when you are weak—for I am strong?

Beth: Well, since you put it that way—Yes! You mean we are back to that same old thing that I keep forgetting—You are with me and in me. You will never leave me or forsake me. You and I are in this together. We are co-laborers together in life.

Why do I keep forgetting that? His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Jesus is referring to a yoke used to link oxen together to accomplish hard work—work that would be very difficult for one oxen but not for two.

Dear sisters, remember you are yoked with the One who could do ALL the work—but he invites us to be yoked with Him and join in. Only then will our journey find rest. Only then will we find joy. Only then will the task fit us perfectly. Only then will we learn the unforced rhythms of grace, to live lightly and freely.

Prayer

I ask you, Jesus, to be our teacher. You know how to be human. Please show us the way.

© Beth Lineberry