I had this post started and all mapped out as to what I wanted to say. It was going to be easy because I've really learned this concept.
Then the last two weeks happened. Suddenly it didn't feel easy anymore. It was hard. It was impossible.
Except that it wasn't. I've learned a more profound meaning of this doctrine in the last couple of weeks - which is why I've put off posting this. May I share with you? I'll start off with what I was originally going to write and then I want to add a little to it.
The Lord has said, in the book of Matthew:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
What does it mean when He says His yoke is easy? What does that feel like? What does He mean when He says, "...my burden is light."?
Naturally, I turn to the idea of oxen when I read about His yoke. What is an easy yoke when in regard to our interactions and experiences with the Lord and His Atonement?
Imagine being an ox. Imagine being yoked with the strongest, biggest, most obedient ox that also has the power to keep its strength but to make its size perfect to match your own so it is easy in every way. Now imagine that big, strong, obedient ox being able to see and know where you need to grow, what you need to do to progress. Imagine the big strong ox stretching you just a little here and there so that you keep growing, getting stronger and more able with each interaction. Each time you take on that burden, the weight of the yoke is on his shoulders, your only just barely feel it. He has the rest of it. And you keep growing stronger and bigger with each exercise, each day, each task.
His yoke is easy. When we take His yoke upon us, when we are tethered to Him, it all just feels effortless. Truly.
This last week I've learned what it feels like to have been tethered to Him and then to try to not be tethered for a while. It wasn't intentional, mind you. I was just like an ox who saw a nice patch of green grass that looks like a lovely place for a nap. I wandered over, rested for a minute, and when I got up I was suddenly not sure where my partner went or how to find him. That's kind of how it felt.
Then I panicked. I stepped over this way and smashed someone's flowers. Whoops! That's not right. Then I stepped over that way and knocked over a bucket of water and now that person's bucket is empty. Whoops! That's not right either.
All week long I kept clumsily trying to find my way back to my partner and instead kept tripping over everyone with whom I interacted. It was awful. It was horrible. Feelings were hurt. The people who interact with me the most had their feelings really, really hurt...repeatedly. Not because I wanted to or even knew what I was doing. It was just happening and I seemed powerless to stop it.
It's interesting, what happens when we stop for a break because we think we've been going long enough and been good long enough and sacrificed long enough. It has been a very educational week...well, month really. But it seemed to intensify even more this last week (if that's even possible).
What have I learned about His yoke being easy? Until a week ago I would have told you that His yoke is easy because when we are focused on Him, it all just works out. But I was focused on Him...mostly. I thought I was completely focused on Him. I wasn't though. I was really focused on all the people He's brought into my life and whether or not things were going smoothly.
So after the very stretching, growing, trying, painful month that was really hard for the last week or so of it, I have a different view of His yoke being easy. But also a not so different view. It turns out that what I thought was true...even more than I ever realized.
His yoke is easy. It only becomes hard when I forget whose yoke it is and I try to control or fix or do for myself. When I am picking up His yoke and walking with Him, there's never anything easier.
So what does that look like in real life?
It looks like choosing to trust Him when we feel broken and defeated. It looks like not getting down on myself when something I've done causes hurt or misunderstandings. It looks like being able to see where I've done wrong and having the humility to ask forgiveness - even when what I've done wrong is not as much of the issue as what the other person has done wrong. It looks like being able to let go of the expectation that every interaction look or feel a certain way. It looks like being able to let go of my own baggage and sharing love and patience with those who still don't see their part in a conflict. It looks like allowing Grace to be in each moment of your day. Moment by moment.
The thing I've learned is that His yoke is Grace.
His yoke is easy because it literally requires nothing of us, save our desire. For us to take upon us His yoke, we only have to desire to receive His Grace. He, alone, can carry that yoke. When we take His yoke upon us, we are only loving Him who first loved us. For His Grace is sufficient.
The hard part is feeling able to receive that when we are particularly down on ourselves. Which is why Grace is so very essential...this yoke of Grace is for everyone. Because it is Grace, it is yours the moment you ask - whether you've "earned" it or not. Whether you feel worthy to receive or not. Whether you feel able to accept it or not. It is there and the minute you ask for Him to place His yoke upon you, this wonderful yoke of Grace descends and suddenly, your burdens become His burdens - the burden which is light.
Light. Not darkness. It is not a burden of weight but of brilliance. His burden is light. To choose the light, to choose to see light in the darkest moments of our lives, this is the burden which we carry through Grace. When we ask for that yoke to be upon us, the light descends along with the Grace and suddenly we see all of our troubles and trials very differently. Our hearts open as if by magic. Our ability to face our trials suddenly becomes effortless - He makes us so we cannot feel the burdens upon our backs. And our burden becomes His burden...the act of intentionally choosing light when the darkness tempts us to step out of that place of joy and truth.
So how do you come unto Him and learn of Him and take His yoke upon you? How do you embrace this joy when things are so very hard?
You ask. That is all. You ask for Grace equal to your day. And you stay in that space with Him this day by choosing the burden of light. And you ask for it again when you find yourself stepping out of that space. And again. And again. And then tomorrow morning, you do it again. Each moment you find yourself full of something other than light, ask for Grace sufficient for your day and then choose light again.
His yoke of Grace is easy and His burden of light is joyful. I know it because I've experienced it more than ever before in my life. It changes the way I view myself, the way I view others, the way I interact with myself, the way I interact with others, and the way I interact with the Lord and with my Heavenly Parents. It changes everything.
You don't deserve it. I don't deserve it. Yet here it is and all we have to do is ask. That is it. Just as the ancient Israelites had but to look up and be healed by the brass serpent, so it is for us today. If we will ask, His Grace descends upon us and we take up that burden of light.
In your moments of struggle, look up to Him. Ask for Grace sufficient to your trial. Choose to feel that light which will flood your soul. Choose to stay with Him in that space. When the darkness tempts you and you succumb, the moment you see it for what it is, ask again. Then choose again.
For the next few posts, I want to talk with you about who the Savior really is and His character as I know Him.
Then the last two weeks happened. Suddenly it didn't feel easy anymore. It was hard. It was impossible.
Except that it wasn't. I've learned a more profound meaning of this doctrine in the last couple of weeks - which is why I've put off posting this. May I share with you? I'll start off with what I was originally going to write and then I want to add a little to it.
The Lord has said, in the book of Matthew:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
What does it mean when He says His yoke is easy? What does that feel like? What does He mean when He says, "...my burden is light."?
Naturally, I turn to the idea of oxen when I read about His yoke. What is an easy yoke when in regard to our interactions and experiences with the Lord and His Atonement?
Imagine being an ox. Imagine being yoked with the strongest, biggest, most obedient ox that also has the power to keep its strength but to make its size perfect to match your own so it is easy in every way. Now imagine that big, strong, obedient ox being able to see and know where you need to grow, what you need to do to progress. Imagine the big strong ox stretching you just a little here and there so that you keep growing, getting stronger and more able with each interaction. Each time you take on that burden, the weight of the yoke is on his shoulders, your only just barely feel it. He has the rest of it. And you keep growing stronger and bigger with each exercise, each day, each task.
His yoke is easy. When we take His yoke upon us, when we are tethered to Him, it all just feels effortless. Truly.
This last week I've learned what it feels like to have been tethered to Him and then to try to not be tethered for a while. It wasn't intentional, mind you. I was just like an ox who saw a nice patch of green grass that looks like a lovely place for a nap. I wandered over, rested for a minute, and when I got up I was suddenly not sure where my partner went or how to find him. That's kind of how it felt.
Then I panicked. I stepped over this way and smashed someone's flowers. Whoops! That's not right. Then I stepped over that way and knocked over a bucket of water and now that person's bucket is empty. Whoops! That's not right either.
All week long I kept clumsily trying to find my way back to my partner and instead kept tripping over everyone with whom I interacted. It was awful. It was horrible. Feelings were hurt. The people who interact with me the most had their feelings really, really hurt...repeatedly. Not because I wanted to or even knew what I was doing. It was just happening and I seemed powerless to stop it.
It's interesting, what happens when we stop for a break because we think we've been going long enough and been good long enough and sacrificed long enough. It has been a very educational week...well, month really. But it seemed to intensify even more this last week (if that's even possible).
What have I learned about His yoke being easy? Until a week ago I would have told you that His yoke is easy because when we are focused on Him, it all just works out. But I was focused on Him...mostly. I thought I was completely focused on Him. I wasn't though. I was really focused on all the people He's brought into my life and whether or not things were going smoothly.
So after the very stretching, growing, trying, painful month that was really hard for the last week or so of it, I have a different view of His yoke being easy. But also a not so different view. It turns out that what I thought was true...even more than I ever realized.
His yoke is easy. It only becomes hard when I forget whose yoke it is and I try to control or fix or do for myself. When I am picking up His yoke and walking with Him, there's never anything easier.
So what does that look like in real life?
It looks like choosing to trust Him when we feel broken and defeated. It looks like not getting down on myself when something I've done causes hurt or misunderstandings. It looks like being able to see where I've done wrong and having the humility to ask forgiveness - even when what I've done wrong is not as much of the issue as what the other person has done wrong. It looks like being able to let go of the expectation that every interaction look or feel a certain way. It looks like being able to let go of my own baggage and sharing love and patience with those who still don't see their part in a conflict. It looks like allowing Grace to be in each moment of your day. Moment by moment.
The thing I've learned is that His yoke is Grace.
His yoke is easy because it literally requires nothing of us, save our desire. For us to take upon us His yoke, we only have to desire to receive His Grace. He, alone, can carry that yoke. When we take His yoke upon us, we are only loving Him who first loved us. For His Grace is sufficient.
The hard part is feeling able to receive that when we are particularly down on ourselves. Which is why Grace is so very essential...this yoke of Grace is for everyone. Because it is Grace, it is yours the moment you ask - whether you've "earned" it or not. Whether you feel worthy to receive or not. Whether you feel able to accept it or not. It is there and the minute you ask for Him to place His yoke upon you, this wonderful yoke of Grace descends and suddenly, your burdens become His burdens - the burden which is light.
Light. Not darkness. It is not a burden of weight but of brilliance. His burden is light. To choose the light, to choose to see light in the darkest moments of our lives, this is the burden which we carry through Grace. When we ask for that yoke to be upon us, the light descends along with the Grace and suddenly we see all of our troubles and trials very differently. Our hearts open as if by magic. Our ability to face our trials suddenly becomes effortless - He makes us so we cannot feel the burdens upon our backs. And our burden becomes His burden...the act of intentionally choosing light when the darkness tempts us to step out of that place of joy and truth.
So how do you come unto Him and learn of Him and take His yoke upon you? How do you embrace this joy when things are so very hard?
You ask. That is all. You ask for Grace equal to your day. And you stay in that space with Him this day by choosing the burden of light. And you ask for it again when you find yourself stepping out of that space. And again. And again. And then tomorrow morning, you do it again. Each moment you find yourself full of something other than light, ask for Grace sufficient for your day and then choose light again.
His yoke of Grace is easy and His burden of light is joyful. I know it because I've experienced it more than ever before in my life. It changes the way I view myself, the way I view others, the way I interact with myself, the way I interact with others, and the way I interact with the Lord and with my Heavenly Parents. It changes everything.
You don't deserve it. I don't deserve it. Yet here it is and all we have to do is ask. That is it. Just as the ancient Israelites had but to look up and be healed by the brass serpent, so it is for us today. If we will ask, His Grace descends upon us and we take up that burden of light.
In your moments of struggle, look up to Him. Ask for Grace sufficient to your trial. Choose to feel that light which will flood your soul. Choose to stay with Him in that space. When the darkness tempts you and you succumb, the moment you see it for what it is, ask again. Then choose again.
For the next few posts, I want to talk with you about who the Savior really is and His character as I know Him.
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