Walk In Step With Jesus

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.”  Matthew 11:29-30

Are you feeling overloaded? You may be trying to control things too much. We all do it, sometimes without even realizing it. We subconsciously act as if it all depends on us. We think we have to hold everything together. We think we have to make everything happen.

The greater your need to control things, the more overloaded, stressed, and empty you’re going to feel in life. You need to learn to give up control!

When you come to Jesus because you’re running on empty, your next step of obedience is this: “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” (Matthew 11:29-30).

When you get fed up, it’s time to give up control.

A yoke is not the middle of an egg (that’s a yolk). It’s the wooden frame you put over two animals so they can pull a piece of farm equipment together. The purpose of a yoke is to lighten the load, not to make it heavier. Sharing a yoke means sharing the load you’re carrying. 

When you already feel like you’re carrying a heavy load, taking on Jesus’ yoke may sound like more of a burden. It’s actually the exact opposite because when you’re not yoked to Jesus, you’re carrying the burden alone, and you might move at a pace that is too fast and throws you into a ditch.

But if you’re yoked to him, he shares the burden of the load with you, keeps your pace exactly where it needs to be, and helps you to say on the right path.

Put simply, a yoke makes the load lighter, and it keeps you from getting in trouble. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”.

You keep in step with God’s Spirit by being yoked to Jesus partnering with him and letting him set the pace. Jesus was never in a hurry, and you won’t be either when you’re connected to him.

Jesus Can Restore Your Weary Soul

When Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), what kind of rest is he talking about?

Jesus offers a rest for your soul that’s much deeper than physical rest because he knows that the problem you need help with right now is probably not overworked muscles.

When you come to Jesus in your emptiness, what you probably have is an overloaded mind, soul, and spirit. You need rest not just from physical work but from tension, stress, anxiety, hurry, and worry. You need the kind of rest that can’t come from taking a good nap or going on vacation.

Most people have a way to unwind when they’re physically tired that’s different from how they unwind when they’re emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Maybe when you’re tired, you watch a movie or spend time on your phone. Maybe you lie down or walk outside. Maybe you choose to spend time with friends, or maybe it’s better for you to be alone.

Those can all be good things but none of them can restore your soul.

Only God can restore your soul. That’s why, when you have soul emptiness, soul depression, or soul overload, Jesus wants you to come to him.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak” (Isaiah 40:29).

When you’re empty inside, culture says you need to do more. You need to make more money, get more stuff, do more things, travel more places. Go, go, go. More, more, more. But that’s the very reason you’re empty!

Jesus wants you to do the opposite: Don’t go. Come. Come to him and come just as you are.

Your soul will never find rest in anything the world has to offer. That’s because your soul was not created to be filled by anything in this world.

You were made for God, and you only find real rest when you bring your weary soul to him.

God Can Use Everything For Good

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”  Genesis 50:20

Remember the story of Joseph?

His brothers were jealous because he was the favorite son, so they sold him into slavery. He was taken to Egypt, and for the first 40 years of his life, everything went wrong. He worked as a slave, was falsely accused of rape, and was thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, just to name a few.  

For decades, nothing seemed to go right for Joseph—but God put him exactly where he wanted him to be. He knew that Joseph would be raised up to become the second most powerful leader in Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world at that time. And because of that, Joseph was able to save Egypt and Israel from famine.        

Not only did he save two nations from starvation, but he also saved his family the ones who sold him into slavery. When his brothers appeared before him, Joseph could have confronted them and punished them for what they did to him. 

But what was Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers? He treated them with grace, not bitterness. He was able to do that because he saw God’s greater perspective and purpose. He knew God could use even the biggest hurt in his life for good.

Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT). God took the terrible sin of Joseph’s brothers and used it to eventually save many people.

There will always be people in your life who have bad intentions, who will resent you, criticize you, and hurt you. There will be times when you are the innocent victim of someone else’s sin. There is no way around it.

You may not understand it but you don’t have to! Like Joseph, maybe you can’t change your circumstances. Or maybe you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through or what God is doing. You can trust that God sees, he cares, and he will bring justice.

God can use everything, good or bad, to accomplish his purposes. His good plan to grow your character and make you more like Jesus will not be changed by other people. What others intend for bad, he will use for good.

How To Grow The Fruit Of The Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

God’s purpose behind every change in your life is to make you more like Jesus.

The promise of Romans 8:28 is wonderful: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). But it doesn’t fully make sense until you read the next verse: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son” (Romans 8:29).

God doesn’t just want you in his family. He also wants you to develop the family characteristics of a child of God. He wants you to grow spiritually. And your model for maturity is Jesus.

So what is Jesus like? The best picture of Jesus’ character is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”.

God produces that kind of fruit in you by putting you in situations that require you to learn and practice those character qualities.

You don’t learn kindness when you’re around nice people; you don’t learn contentment when you have everything you want.

So when God wants to teach you to be more loving, he doesn’t put you around people who are easy to love; he puts you around people who are hard to love people who I call “holy sandpaper.”

Anybody can be happy when everything’s going their way. But God teaches you true joy in the middle of suffering, grief, and heartbreak.           

It’s easy to be at peace when there’s no struggle in your life. When God teaches you peace, he’ll allow chaos and conflict to teach you the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).   

How does God teach you patience? By placing you in long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles or at a delayed doctor appointment. Anytime you have to wait, God is making you more like Jesus. 

Life and change are not always easy, but the big and small ways you’re growing in spiritual maturity will make it worth it.

God Turns Bitter Into Better

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  Romans 8:28

One of the greatest promises of the Bible is in Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”.

Notice that verse does not say that everything is good. A quick look at the news headlines proves that isn’t true. And it doesn’t say this promise is for everyone just those who love God. The way God works all things together for good is kind of like baking a cake. God can make the bitter, better.

In your life and in the world, there will be elements that are bitter and unpleasant. You might think, “That doesn’t taste good. I don’t like that change in my life. I don’t like what’s happening in the world today.”

When you’re in a season of rapid and relentless change, and some things don’t taste very good, determine that you won’t become bitter by seeing only the negative in your circumstances. Because even when nothing makes sense, you can trust that God takes it all the good and the bitter and uses it for his good plan.

You can’t see it now, but you will taste its sweetness in heaven one day.

God Uses Change For Your Good

As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”  Genesis 8:22

Change is unavoidable. We all know that but we often still act surprised when things don’t stay the same.

When change happens, we can complain and grumble, get mad, or blame other people. We may even try to stop the inevitable, as if we have any control. But things on earth never stay the same. In every moment of our lives, there is change, for good or bad.

When God created the earth, this is one of the first things he said: “As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night” (Genesis 8:22). In his perfect design, God made everything on this planet seasonal. Everything is changing, even when we can’t see or feel it. Your family isn’t the same as it used to be. Your job isn’t the same as it used to be. You are not the same as you used to be.

But because God designed it and said it was good, we know that change is for our benefit. Change keeps us from becoming complacent and helps us continue to trust God for the things we cannot understand. When change brings pain into our lives, it makes us depend on him. And change makes spiritual, physical, and emotional growth a natural part of life. Change for the better in your walk with Jesus means you are becoming more like him.

There is no growth without change, no change without loss, no loss without grief, and no grief without pain. A person who wants to grow and be better but not go through the pain of change is like a woman saying, “I want to have a baby, but I don’t want to go through labor.” It isn’t going to happen! To bring new life into the world requires pain. To enjoy every good gift, we sometimes have to experience the painful change required to receive it.

Change will not always be easy, and you might not always understand it. But remember this: Whatever change God requires from you, you can be sure it is for your good.

God Won’t Let You Face Life Alone

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Philippians 2:13

No matter what you’re going to face in the next week, month, or year, you’re not going to face it alone. God is with you, he is in you, and he is for you.

Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him”.

God is working in you. The word “working” in Greek is the word energeo, from which we get the word “energy.” God is the energy driver in your life. You can’t survive on just willpower. God can give you the power you need though his Spirit at work in your life, no matter what you’re facing.

God is working with you. Not only is he in you, he is with you. The Bible says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. . . . On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:18, 20). That’s quite a promise! The Bible says Christ is in you, you’re hidden with Christ in God, and you’re sealed with the Holy Spirit. That means for the devil to get to you, he’s got to get through the Trinity! That’s pretty good protection. That’s a great fear reliever.

God is for you. Not only is God with you and in you, God is also for you. Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, no one can defeat us”.

When a shepherd leads the sheep, there are always guard dogs at the back, nipping at the sheep to keep them moving in the right direction.

You can think of God’s goodness and mercy as guard dogs in your life. The Bible says, “Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:7). God gives you the things you don’t deserve that is his goodness. And he doesn’t give you the things you do deserve that’s his mercy.

Do you ever feel the smile of God in your life? If you don’t, you might not really know God. Some people think God is like the angry parent who’s mad at them all the time. No. God is for you!

If you want to be happy, you need to get up every morning and say, “God, thank you for being with me today, for being in me today, and for being forme today.”

Reasons To Never Give Up

We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.”  2 Corinthians 4:18

If your focus is shortsighted and you’re only thinking about your current difficulties or pain, then it’s only natural to want to give up. 

But if you look at things from an eternal perspective, then you’ll be able to keep going, no matter what happens.

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

This passage gives us four reasons to stay strong emotionally and never give up.

We never give up, because “our spirits are being renewed every day.” We wouldn’t dream of going a whole week without food, but some people don’t open their Bibles for an entire week. That’s depriving your soul of the most essential nourishment it needs! If you want to renew your spirit every day, then get into God’s Word.

We never give up, because “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.” Problems don’t come to stay; they come to pass. Even if we have problems that last our entire lives, they would be miniscule compared to the trillions of years we’re going to spend in heaven. Know this: Problems on earth are temporary, and God has long-range plans for you.

We never give up, because we know our problems will “produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” God is using everything in your life—even the hard stuff—to build your character for eternity. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

We never give up, because we “fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.” When you focus on things that last forever, you’re able to finish the race because you have long-term thinking. Your attention is fixed on eternity. 

So, what are you focused on today? Instead of looking at your problems, start looking at Jesus again. And don’t give up!

The Habit That Produces Joy

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 
1 Thessalonians 5:18

When you’re going through a season of great change and stress, how do you maintain joy? You do it by developing the habit of thanking God for all that’s good, despite all that’s bad. 

This principle is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus”. This means that we should develop an attitude of gratitude in every situation. It doesn’t mean that we have to be thankful for everything that happens to us, especially the bad things like cancer or car accidents. We don’t have to be thankful for all the evil in the world.

But every time you take a minute to express gratitude to God about anything it could be your favorite music, a spot in nature, or Scripture it helps refill your empty emotional tank so you can move forward in life. Choosing to be thankful is for your own good; it keeps you from becoming bitter and helps you to finish strong.

Being grateful is easy when your emotional tank is full and things are going great. It’s much harder to find something to be thankful for when you’re facing a crisis or prolonged chronic stress. But that’s when you need to express gratitude the most.

The story of Job is a great example of gratitude during hard times. He was a wealthy and successful man, but he lost everything in a single day. He didn’t know why it all happened to him, and he had every reason to be angry and bitter. Despite this, he continued to trust God. Even in his darkest moment, he fell to the ground and worshiped God, saying, “May the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21).

One of the most practical yet powerful habits you can develop is to make a daily gratitude list. Just sit down for five minutes each day and ask yourself, “What am I grateful for?” It’s a habit that will strengthen your soul and keep you going when you feel like giving up.

Even in our darkest moments, we can follow Job’s example and gratefully worship God, knowing that his will for us is to give thanks in all circumstances.

Be Honest With God

Throw all your worry on [God], because he cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:7

Have you ever prayed a prayer like this? “God, help me. I’m overwhelmed and discouraged. I don’t know if I can keep going.” If so, you were being honest with God and that’s exactly the kind of prayer he wants to hear from you.

Do you feel under attack? Tell God. Do you feel like you have no energy? Tell God. Do you feel rejected or lonely? Tell God. You have permission to dump everything you’re feeling right now onto the Lord because the Bible says: “Throw all your worry on [God], because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

But sometimes being honest with God can be intimidating. You might think he doesn’t already know everything about your life, but he does. That’s why it’s important to remember three facts about God when you pray.

God knows every emotion you feel. The Bible says, “The LORD gave each of us a mind, and nothing we do can be hidden from him” (Psalm 33:15).

When you tell God how you feel, he will never say, “That’s a surprise to me.” Why? Because he created your mind along with everything else. You can speak freely to him. Nothing you say will ever catch him off guard.

And when you do share your feelings with God, it’s for your benefit, not his. God knows that when you “throw all your worries on him,” it relieves a lot of unconscious tension and internal conflict in your life.

God understands your feelings better than you do. The Bible says, “The LORD knows what is in everyone’s mind. He understands everything you think” (1 Chronicles 28:9). 

I doubt you understand everything you think. I certainly don’t understand everything I think. And sometimes you’ll have an emotion that makes you wonder, “Where did that come from?” But because God gave you your emotions, he always understands them.

The only reason you have emotions is because you’re made in God’s image and God is an emotional God. The Bible says God gets sad and angry, and he even laughs. Every emotion you have comes from God.    

God loves to listen to you. The Bible says, “I love the LORD, because he hears me. . . . He listens to me every time I call to him” (Psalm 116:1-2).

God is a listening God. You may get too busy for a conversation with him, but he is never too busy for a conversation with you. And he doesn’t have a short attention span; he won’t say, “What were you talking about? Can you say that again?” God is always attentive.

So whenever you’re distressed and at the end of your rope, pray honestly and “cry out in the night . . . pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord” (Lamentations 2:19). God can handle it, and he’s ready to hear your prayers.