Come to me, all 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.
We have a bad habit as believers of constantly reverting back to depending on ourselves for our own growth in Christ. When presented with a series of steps, we will always try to make that our new law because our sinful nature desires that we do all the work and receive all the glory.
So we strive. But we do not strive to rest in God as much as we strive to follow some system that is supposed to lead us to God. The system, wrapped in spiritual terms, becomes a new law for us and we fight to follow the steps.
When we get worn out, we simply turn to a new system. This is the reason why Christian bookstores can carry so many books about the steps to following God and will continue to have best-sellers. We constantly look for the next big thing that is going to finally bring us close to God for the rest of our lives.
Sound familiar? The problem is not in the books themselves but in how we turn them into the system that takes us away from depending on God and toward depending on ourselves. Jesus has called us to rest, to utter dependence on him. Anything that burdens us with rules of righteousness is another repackaging of the law. Jesus operates by grace in that he moves in our hearts to draw near to him.
Are you burdened by the rules and responsibilities of our law-driven Western Christianity? Come to Jesus and find rest for your souls. Do not bring your list of accomplishments. Bring your heart. What you take away will be far greater than whatever you can gain on your own.
Peace,
Jeff Moody
jeffmoody82@gmail.com
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