Have you wondered lately what ever happened to your dreams? Today has been one of those mediocre days where everything I've done has been monotonous. I have taken all the almost empty bottles of hand soap, conditioner, shampoo....and combined them in one bottle. All our med and vitamin cabby's were empty and had to be refilled for the week. I had to do my weekly scrub down of all the handles in the house with Clorox wipes and not to mention the uncooked chicken in the frig that I had to make soup out of. The list goes on and on and never seems to end! One of the thoughts that always consumes my mind as I do all this is, "How do people that work and raise children do all this and still get some personal time!?" There's laundry, repairs, errands, shopping, care-giving, cooking, commitments, service...
As my husband sits at the dining room table with all our paperwork spread out before him, I see that even he is inundated with personal and family tasks that go beyond his regular work week! He has a full time job just keeping the paperwork and making the phone calls that need to be done for his handicapped brother's needs. I haven't even mentioned the work that needs to be done outside to prepare for winter or the mess in the basement that constantly calls out to us! It seems like when we do stop, it's just to collapse rather than to have fun.
So what might the answer be to this point at issue of what seems like a futile existence of exhaustion? How about a counterpoise. The only way to balance something is to place an opposing weight or opposing force. What does Christ say about this? In Matthew 11:30, He says to take off the yoke of slavery and take on His yoke, which is light and easy. Actually, if we break down the verses it gives us step by step instructions on how to solve our dilemma. Verse 28, He openly gives an open invitation to EVERYONE who feels weary and burdened to COME TO HIM! He offers a soft place for us to fall. A safe place for us to rest! I don't know about you but when I am troubled and exhausted, I fantasize that someone safe and loving would come to me and take me to a safe home where they make me soup and show me kindness until I feel I can continue on again. Here my friends, is the God of the universe offering that to us! So, His first instruction to us is to COME TO HIM.
Verse 29, then shows us that He is offering us a respite for our souls. You see how the tasks are still there for us to do but He is offering a new way for us to do them! He tells us to TAKE His yoke upon us and to learn from Him (a better way/a balanced way). Sometimes when we get too wrapped up in our lives and wear ourselves down, we lose sight of wisdom and get angry at how cruel and exhausting life seems. In this verse He makes it very clear where He wants us to free-fall our weary selves. He tells us that He is gentle and humble in heart. Basically He is telling us that, "It's okay to let go and collapse into Me. I'm kind and you're safe with Me. I have everything covered and you can rest. Let Me catch you, comfort you, replenish you. Allow Me to take that cumbersome yoke off of you and replace it with Mine, which is light and easy. Let Me love you." The verse ends with, "You will find rest for your soul." It's so profound really, that it isn't so much our physical exhaustion that takes us down, but the state of our soul. Probably because our soul was not created to house and carry worry and stress but to be a well for God's living water of hope and joy.
Verse 30 really speaks to me as to what yoke we choose everyday to throw around our neck! His yoke, He says is easy, and His burden, light. How many of us charge into our day without consulting Jesus? We just roll out of bed and hit the floor running! Picture yourself jumping out of bed and grabbing the cumbersome yoke of self off the hook on the door and throwing it over your shoulders as you race hunched-over to the bathroom or kitchen. When all the while, the loving, perfect yoke of your friend Jesus is laying right there in your bed, next to where you were laying, but you ignored it and chose your own way instead. That one act, that one choice will set the pace and weight of your entire day and most likely define your attitude toward every one and every thing! Is it a wonder my brothers and sisters, that we are so tired and irritable?
So, let's start our days with Jesus. Let's begin seeing our mediocre acts as service unto Him. Each toothbrush you replace with a new one, each thing you fix around your home, each bed you make or load of laundry you do. Every day you go to work, every counter you clean, every bill you pay, is an act of service not only to your family but to the Lord! And, most importantly, give and serve God's children everywhere! Help an elderly person load their groceries in their car. Give someone your seat at the doctors office when it's busy. Pull out a grocery cart for someone. Go help your neighbor rake his leaves. Watch someones kids for a couple hours. The list goes on and on of how we can wear a different yoke throughout our day. A yoke that revives our weary souls of selfish monotony. We must get out of ourselves and start seeing the bigger picture that God is painting. It's a painting of out-stretched arms rather that clenched fists. A painting of Christ within all we see!
The point of life is not to wear ourselves out but to counterpoise our duties with Christ-like service. Balance is healthy. Do some, give some, get some, rest some. See God in everything and everyone, and, let everyone see God in you. Christ be glorified!
Food for thought: What list would you rather have? The insurmountable list of things you need to get done each day or the infinite list of acts of kindness that Christ puts before you each day? One of those lists will wear you out and the other one will charge you up! Trust me, I have chosen God's way many times and He always takes care of not only what He wants me to do but also what I needed to get done! He just rearranges our schedules and works everything out for good in His perfect timing!
Scriptures for thought:
Matthew 25:40, "I tell you that if you so much as give a cup of cold water to one of My children, you have done it unto Me."
Matthew 11:30, "For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
James1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God and He will give it to you generously."
James 1:22, "Do not merely listen to the Word, but be doers of the Word."
Child of God ... Your dreams are not lost in this life of duty ... they are being kept by God and you will sing, dance, create, build, design, give, share ... for eternity! What God has for you there is so much bigger than you could ever imagine!
As my husband sits at the dining room table with all our paperwork spread out before him, I see that even he is inundated with personal and family tasks that go beyond his regular work week! He has a full time job just keeping the paperwork and making the phone calls that need to be done for his handicapped brother's needs. I haven't even mentioned the work that needs to be done outside to prepare for winter or the mess in the basement that constantly calls out to us! It seems like when we do stop, it's just to collapse rather than to have fun.
So what might the answer be to this point at issue of what seems like a futile existence of exhaustion? How about a counterpoise. The only way to balance something is to place an opposing weight or opposing force. What does Christ say about this? In Matthew 11:30, He says to take off the yoke of slavery and take on His yoke, which is light and easy. Actually, if we break down the verses it gives us step by step instructions on how to solve our dilemma. Verse 28, He openly gives an open invitation to EVERYONE who feels weary and burdened to COME TO HIM! He offers a soft place for us to fall. A safe place for us to rest! I don't know about you but when I am troubled and exhausted, I fantasize that someone safe and loving would come to me and take me to a safe home where they make me soup and show me kindness until I feel I can continue on again. Here my friends, is the God of the universe offering that to us! So, His first instruction to us is to COME TO HIM.
Verse 29, then shows us that He is offering us a respite for our souls. You see how the tasks are still there for us to do but He is offering a new way for us to do them! He tells us to TAKE His yoke upon us and to learn from Him (a better way/a balanced way). Sometimes when we get too wrapped up in our lives and wear ourselves down, we lose sight of wisdom and get angry at how cruel and exhausting life seems. In this verse He makes it very clear where He wants us to free-fall our weary selves. He tells us that He is gentle and humble in heart. Basically He is telling us that, "It's okay to let go and collapse into Me. I'm kind and you're safe with Me. I have everything covered and you can rest. Let Me catch you, comfort you, replenish you. Allow Me to take that cumbersome yoke off of you and replace it with Mine, which is light and easy. Let Me love you." The verse ends with, "You will find rest for your soul." It's so profound really, that it isn't so much our physical exhaustion that takes us down, but the state of our soul. Probably because our soul was not created to house and carry worry and stress but to be a well for God's living water of hope and joy.
Verse 30 really speaks to me as to what yoke we choose everyday to throw around our neck! His yoke, He says is easy, and His burden, light. How many of us charge into our day without consulting Jesus? We just roll out of bed and hit the floor running! Picture yourself jumping out of bed and grabbing the cumbersome yoke of self off the hook on the door and throwing it over your shoulders as you race hunched-over to the bathroom or kitchen. When all the while, the loving, perfect yoke of your friend Jesus is laying right there in your bed, next to where you were laying, but you ignored it and chose your own way instead. That one act, that one choice will set the pace and weight of your entire day and most likely define your attitude toward every one and every thing! Is it a wonder my brothers and sisters, that we are so tired and irritable?
So, let's start our days with Jesus. Let's begin seeing our mediocre acts as service unto Him. Each toothbrush you replace with a new one, each thing you fix around your home, each bed you make or load of laundry you do. Every day you go to work, every counter you clean, every bill you pay, is an act of service not only to your family but to the Lord! And, most importantly, give and serve God's children everywhere! Help an elderly person load their groceries in their car. Give someone your seat at the doctors office when it's busy. Pull out a grocery cart for someone. Go help your neighbor rake his leaves. Watch someones kids for a couple hours. The list goes on and on of how we can wear a different yoke throughout our day. A yoke that revives our weary souls of selfish monotony. We must get out of ourselves and start seeing the bigger picture that God is painting. It's a painting of out-stretched arms rather that clenched fists. A painting of Christ within all we see!
The point of life is not to wear ourselves out but to counterpoise our duties with Christ-like service. Balance is healthy. Do some, give some, get some, rest some. See God in everything and everyone, and, let everyone see God in you. Christ be glorified!
Food for thought: What list would you rather have? The insurmountable list of things you need to get done each day or the infinite list of acts of kindness that Christ puts before you each day? One of those lists will wear you out and the other one will charge you up! Trust me, I have chosen God's way many times and He always takes care of not only what He wants me to do but also what I needed to get done! He just rearranges our schedules and works everything out for good in His perfect timing!
Scriptures for thought:
Matthew 25:40, "I tell you that if you so much as give a cup of cold water to one of My children, you have done it unto Me."
Matthew 11:30, "For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
James1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God and He will give it to you generously."
James 1:22, "Do not merely listen to the Word, but be doers of the Word."
Child of God ... Your dreams are not lost in this life of duty ... they are being kept by God and you will sing, dance, create, build, design, give, share ... for eternity! What God has for you there is so much bigger than you could ever imagine!
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