God Doesn’t Need You To Be Happy or Perfect
[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] 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. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
So, I'm trying something a bit different tonight. I'm not trying to impress anybody with this devotional. I'm not trying to pretend that I've got it all together. I'm not trying to act like after you read this that you will feel energized and ready to go. I'm writing this devotional from a place of frustration, stress, anxiousness, and bleh-ness.
Today wasn't a good day. I didn't come home in a chipper mood. I didn't accomplish a lot to feel extra good about myself. I just had a day that the deeper I got into it, the more stressed out I was. You know what I'm talking about? Have you ever had one of those?
Then I realized that I am up to write a devotional for our church. How am I supposed to do that?! I don't have it all together! I'm not a good example. People shouldn't try and follow my words...not today.
Then it hit me. That's exactly why I had to write this devo. If I can't be honest, and vulnerable and still look for Jesus in the midst of my anxiety, then I don't have a good grasp on the gospel. So here we are. I'm grasping at you, Lord. Please let this grasping help somebody else that may be in the same boat.
My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Those words are so true, but on days like today, honestly, I don't want them. I at the very least am not believing them. I actually have been imagining a picture of me trying to make Jesus' yoke and burden heavy on me. What I realized is frightening.
I realized that in my anxiety, in my rejection of an easy yoke and light burden, I'm taking the cross from Jesus and trying to put it on my back. I'm trying to nail myself to it. It's not my cross to bear, though. I could never. The reason his yoke and burden are so good, is because he has been crushed for my sin. He has taken the heavy burden and the difficult yoke. Instead of looking at me with disdain and making me take that too, he has given me an easy yoke, and a light burden.
When we stress and get all worked up, or we are afraid to fail, we are saying to Jesus that His yoke is not enough for us. We have a better one. That's so stupid! Jesus doesn't want us to be under more pressure. He has relieved it!
Here's what I know. The more I believe that Jesus has already paid the price, that on the cross he stepped into my place, that when God looks at me he sees Jesus...the more I understand those things, the more ok it is for me to fail, and the better I get at letting go of stress. I mean, who am I trying to impress? The God of the universe is already impressed with me! And here's the great thing: He's impressed with me because He's impressed with His Son...and my primary identity is in Him. That's an easy yoke and a light burden. Time to rest in Him.
I hope that blesses you as you read it. God doesn't need your perfection...He needs your faith in His perfection.
- Charlie
So, I'm trying something a bit different tonight. I'm not trying to impress anybody with this devotional. I'm not trying to pretend that I've got it all together. I'm not trying to act like after you read this that you will feel energized and ready to go. I'm writing this devotional from a place of frustration, stress, anxiousness, and bleh-ness.
Today wasn't a good day. I didn't come home in a chipper mood. I didn't accomplish a lot to feel extra good about myself. I just had a day that the deeper I got into it, the more stressed out I was. You know what I'm talking about? Have you ever had one of those?
Then I realized that I am up to write a devotional for our church. How am I supposed to do that?! I don't have it all together! I'm not a good example. People shouldn't try and follow my words...not today.
Then it hit me. That's exactly why I had to write this devo. If I can't be honest, and vulnerable and still look for Jesus in the midst of my anxiety, then I don't have a good grasp on the gospel. So here we are. I'm grasping at you, Lord. Please let this grasping help somebody else that may be in the same boat.
My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Those words are so true, but on days like today, honestly, I don't want them. I at the very least am not believing them. I actually have been imagining a picture of me trying to make Jesus' yoke and burden heavy on me. What I realized is frightening.
I realized that in my anxiety, in my rejection of an easy yoke and light burden, I'm taking the cross from Jesus and trying to put it on my back. I'm trying to nail myself to it. It's not my cross to bear, though. I could never. The reason his yoke and burden are so good, is because he has been crushed for my sin. He has taken the heavy burden and the difficult yoke. Instead of looking at me with disdain and making me take that too, he has given me an easy yoke, and a light burden.
When we stress and get all worked up, or we are afraid to fail, we are saying to Jesus that His yoke is not enough for us. We have a better one. That's so stupid! Jesus doesn't want us to be under more pressure. He has relieved it!
Here's what I know. The more I believe that Jesus has already paid the price, that on the cross he stepped into my place, that when God looks at me he sees Jesus...the more I understand those things, the more ok it is for me to fail, and the better I get at letting go of stress. I mean, who am I trying to impress? The God of the universe is already impressed with me! And here's the great thing: He's impressed with me because He's impressed with His Son...and my primary identity is in Him. That's an easy yoke and a light burden. Time to rest in Him.
I hope that blesses you as you read it. God doesn't need your perfection...He needs your faith in His perfection.
- Charlie
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