Do you ever feel completely stressed out? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by everything you need to do? Are you laboring under a very heavy load? Sometimes, our responsibilities at work, at home and even at church can leave us feeling that we will never be able to "get it all done." In such times of great stress, Christ's words can be of particular help.
Our Savior said: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30). Far from being simplistic, Christ's words give us a roadmap that, if followed, will ensure that we do not continue laboring under an oppressive load.
If you are looking for a quick fix—a way to "have your cake and eat it too"—please understand that what you are seeking is not a biblical concept. Christ admonishes us not to let ourselves become distracted by the cares of this world (cf. Matthew 13:22). Often, the things we think we need to do can serve as distractions that keep us from making progress towards our primary goal in life—seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (cf. Matthew 6:33). However, even when we are careful not to let our other responsibilities distract us from building our relationship with God, we can still feel overwhelmed by all the demands on our time. If you have come to this point and you want help, Christ's words offer a way to change your life.
Come Unto Me…
In the physical sense, His words are not easy because, carnally speaking, they do not make sense (cf. Romans 8:6–7). In Matthew 11, Christ draws a contrast between the physical and the spiritual. He begins by addressing those who are heavy laden—those who are carrying a heavy and stressful load. He then assures us that if we will come to Him, He will give us rest. The first step is to come to Christ, but what does this really mean in practice? Sadly, modern professing "Christianity" has turned this phrase into a cliché, so for many the real meaning of these words has been obscured. But we do not need to speculate on what Christ meant, because in the next verse He goes on to tell us what He means. He meant that we are to serve Him only and completely—and if we will do so, He will give us rest.
This rest has a physical dimension, but its ultimate fulfillment is the spiritual rest to which we all look forward, which will become a reality upon Christ's return to this earth (cf. Hebrews 4:9–11). The physical, here-and now aspect of this promised rest comes as a result of serving God spiritually with all our heart, and trusting in Him to provide for our needs.
People today are obsessed with seeking food, clothing and shelter—just as they were in Jesus' day. Advertisers spend billions of dollars each year to stir people's lust for fancier and fancier versions of these three basic necessities of life. But our Father in heaven knows all of our needs, and promises to provide them to us, if we seek Him first and above all else.
How do we do this? Jesus Christ tells His followers to take on His yoke. Just as we cannot serve two masters, we cannot wear two yokes (cf. Matthew 6:24). In order to take on His yoke, we must first take off any other yoke. How can we tell if we are wearing Christ's yoke? Christ describes His yoke as "easy." In other words, if you are feeling weighted down by a heavy burden, you have taken on the wrong yoke!
How do we put on the yoke of Christ? Our Savior tells us that we begin by learning of Him, and then He draws our attention to His humility. In Philippians 2:5 we are told to "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." It is not enough to know about Christ and to know about His character; we are to learn of Him so that we can be like Him.
Humility
We read that Christ was "lowly in heart." We should think about this aspect of Christ's character as we evaluate our priorities and the items on our "to do" list. As we develop Christ-like humility in our character, this will affect every aspect of our lives.
What does humility have to do with feeling stressed? If we have a truly humble heart, we will not waste time in vain pursuits, seeking what is fleeting and temporary. True humility also involves recognizing that even if our cause may be noble, our part in it is not indispensable; God is perfectly capable of bringing His will to pass without our help. It is a privilege to be called and used by God, but He does not depend upon us. Having this knowledge, we should seek balance in how we spend our time, and not allow our priorities to become unbalanced—even for the most noble of causes.
When you are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed by the demands on your time, are you tempted to cut back on the time you spend deepening your relationship with God? Remember, the time you spend with God should be your very first priority; everything else in life should come after this. If you feel that your time is so squeezed that you cannot spend enough time with God, you need to consider which of your other priorities have become unbalanced and are coming between you and your Creator.
Stress occurs when there is a mismatch between the things we want to do and the time available to do them. We all have the same amount of time—24 hours in the day. That is an absolute and unalterable constraint. Since we cannot increase the time available to us, we must set priorities for what we want to accomplish, and then spend our time accordingly. And our relationship with God must always be the top priority!
Simplify Your Life
To put this into practice, we must simplify our lives so we can invest quality time in the areas that are most important—God, family, work, etc. We have to accept that not only is our time limited, so also is our energy and stamina. Just as a runner can put forth a short burst of speed, we too can put short bursts of energy into what we do. However, just as a runner must find a pace that can be sustained for the duration of the race, we must find a comfortable pace in our lives so we do not "burn out." Maintaining balance in our lives will allow us to endure those inevitable moments when a crisis throws our schedule temporarily out of balance. Finding our appropriate pace involves recognizing that there are limits to what and how much we can do. Coming to grips with these limits forces us to focus on our priorities, because if we cannot do it all, we must determine which priorities are most important.
As we simplify our lives, we need to make sure we are seeking the Kingdom first, and not letting ourselves become distracted by carnal desires to pursue what is fleeting. Remember, Christ admonishes us to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:20–21).
In Luke 10:38–42, we read about Jesus' visit to Martha's house. Martha was busy preparing food and tending to the physical necessities, while her sister Mary sat with the guests gathered around our Savior, listening to His words. Martha felt overwhelmed by her work, and became upset that her sister was not helping. Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to help with the household duties, but Jesus responded that it was Mary—not Martha—who was spending her time more wisely. In essence, Martha had lost sight of what was most important. Tending to her guests' needs may have been noble, but Martha had let her chores steal her away from listening to Christ speak. It would have been far more profitable for her to listen to the words of life that the Savior was giving. After all, if tending to guests' needs was a concern, Jesus had just recently blessed the loaves and the fishes and fed a multitude (cf. Luke 9:11–17). These two examples should make us pause and consider how we are spending our time in light of Matthew 6:25–33.
You Shall Find Rest…
Christ's words hold out great hope and a marvelous promise. Although this promised rest has a spiritual fulfillment, there is a physical aspect to it as well. We read, "It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth" (Lamentations 3:27). Why is it advantageous for us to put on Christ's yoke early in life, rather than late? God's word guides us through life, and keeps us from many mistakes— mistakes that can carry consequences for years, or in some cases for life (cf. Psalm 119:105). By taking on Christ's yoke, we can have rest from the stress and anxieties of this life, and look forward to entering into His rest at His return.
Remember, Christ tells us, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." If your burden does not feel light, you are laboring under the wrong burden! Look to Him, and to His way, and He will help you cope.