This Sunday our pastor talked about the Sabbath rest and the difference between being overextended and being overwhelmed. It was a great message for someone like me who struggles with anxiety and depression. Making me think about my lack of energy, and that feeling of being exhausted all the time. When this morning stirred that question of what I should tackle out of all the things that need doing, I paused.

My go-to is making a list. It helps me prioritize, stay on track, and keep from letting things slip through the cracks. But am I missing the message of the sermon? Are there things I’m doing that need to be culled? Or is my soul in need of rest? Let me take you to the scripture our pastor used—

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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 ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT

This passage sometimes gets lost on us because of the reference to taking on His yoke. We don’t have an experiential connection. We’ve only seen pictures of what yokes look like and how they’re used. My own imagination cringes at the picture of me being bound in a yoke together with Jesus. But if you think about how Jesus uses parables to help us picture heavenly things, the point is easier to understand.

In the first part of the verse, we can picture being heavily burdened, and bearing the weight of the yoke and the pull of the plow by ourselves. Jesus tells us to come to Him, bear the load together, side by side. Not only will our load of burdens feel lighter, but the work will be easier to accomplish.

I just finished a Bible plan that brought up our innate need to be in control. Isn’t that true? I can imagine myself saying to Jesus, “Don’t worry about me, Lord. I’ve got this under control.” Even if my legs were shaking and my shoulders were bloodied and bruised.

The other thing I notice about this verse is how Jesus mentions our rest twice. He gives rest, and He teaches us so we can find rest. It is implied that we need rest. That is the message of the Sabbath. It was never a question. But my idea of what that looks like is more a physical rest. I need instruction on finding a soul rest, and the only teacher with those answers is Jesus.

Will I write a to-do list? Yes, it’s still helpful. But first I’ll submit all my to-dos to Jesus and let Him help me to prioritize.

Thank you for reading.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

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