Resting In Peace (No, Not Death)

Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.
JOHN 11:28-30

If you're over forty, you have probably met (or will meet) today someone who will indicate to you that they are tired; and you will relate to them. Unfortunately, many of the people you meet will be under forty. Researchers have concluded that the source of this tiredness is either from disease, sickness, poor diet, obesity or weariness from living in an unstable world.

I've been spending some rough nights, with difficulty breathing and chest congestion, from seasonal allergies (and probably working in a doctor's office). But my spirit seems to feel quite chipper, thank you. And I think that that is the medicine (along with lots of vitamin C) that will render my condition manageable. Studies have also determined that a good attitude makes for a speedy recovery.

What about those spirits that are sick? Those mental conditions that convey sadness, misery, loneliness, anger, frustration and depression? To be sure, we all suffer from each of those from time to time, but many seem to live with them. Why do some shake them off, while others trudge along, carrying them on their backs?

I honestly don't know, but I am firmly convinced that God is not only constantly aware of them, but he is in the mix. You see, I believe that everything has a purpose. A great many Christians believe that God set things in motion and then stepped back to watch the outcome. Others think that he only intervenes on occasion, especially at the time we are to "accept Christ." Then we're left to ourselves to "work out" our salvation.

I'm convinced in my heart that he is intimately aware of (and concerned about) our daily doings as his very own dear children. We are often told to shake off our negative emotions, and sometimes that works --- only to have them sneak right back in --- or even to return with a vengeance.

That's why God has coupled us with his son, Jesus. Because Jesus has been there/done that, felt our emotions --- and still remained an obedient, peaceful and loving son. Many carry their crosses as they carry their Bibles, more as a badge of honor, with a woe-is-me attitude, when all the time Jesus assures us that the yoke is easy, the burden is light.

Now, we cannot help at times passing through the valley of despair. My wife and I have a running argument as to how much Satan is involved in the mind games. She thinks I give him way too much credit. She may be right. We definitely do not want to make him our excuse for behaving badly.

Three things jump out at me in the quoted verse. One is that we are to learn from Jesus. How? By reading what he said (the Gospels) and by listening to his Spirit (the voice inside). We must also concentrate on gentleness. In my frustrating workday, I may snap at someone without thinking. In my passion for discussing heartfelt spiritual issues, I may come across as overpowering or abrasive. In short, I must remain calm and collected as I deal with these challenges.

Finally, I must show humility. This is the most difficult because, as I have written before, if you are consciously aware that you are humble, then you are not humble. The key to this quality may also be the gentleness. It is a form of waiting on God, testing the spirits and being willing to learn and to accept your own shortcomings, with a firm determination to constantly do better.

The image of the yoke is powerful. Two beings bound together to perform a task that one could not manage alone. We know that Jesus could pull the whole load himself, but he won't do that. He will not walk off and leave us. We must step out with him in order to proceed on our journey.

What does this say? We're never alone. We always have an advocate to the Father for us. We always have a companion to share our burden. Walk with him. Work with him. It will be a wonderful experience. One that will bring joy.
STEVE