Life feel heavy to you?

Too much? Too fast? Too painful? Not enough margin? Not enough rest? Exhausted? A bit disillusioned with life and work perhaps?

I feel you. I have recently felt the same. Too much to do. Too little time. A lot of it self imposed. Feeling stretched, overwhelmed, fatigued with life and work. Having a sense of “this pace is too fast, too heavy and unsustainable.”

Not knowing what to do about it, I did what I know (and has worked a thousand times)…run to God begging for help.

Even after 28 years of walking closely with Him, He continues to teach and counsel me (John 14:26) about how to live life His way. One passage that hit me recently with new force is Matthew 11:28-30.

Come to 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.

I bet I’ve read these verses “a thousand times” in the last 28 years of my “God Life”…but these days, I’m seeing it with new eyes for some reason.

The picture of a yoke and two oxen being yoked together jumps off the page at me.

Debbie (my wife) and I reflected on what it would be like to “pair” or “align” with an ox that was moving faster or slower than we wanted to move. We laughed at the thought (and insanity) of the “apprentice” (younger/weaker) ox trying to set the pace for the “lead” more experienced, stronger ox. Foolish. Stubborn. Painful. Exhausting.

Yet, that is often what I/we do.

We try to set the pace (and workload) of life and work without getting God’s take..and He’s the “lead Ox.” Crazy!

He says His yoke (think “his load, his pace”)…

• …is light, yet mine feels heavy.
• …is gentle, yet mine feels harsh and turbulent.
• …is easy, yet mine feels so hard at times.
• …is humble, yet mine is full of ego and pride.

Might I be “mis-aligned” with the “Lead Ox”? Hmmmm….

You?

What would it take to get aligned? To “get right”? And to live that way? To run God’s race at His pace? To carry His load and not the one I create in my own mind assuming it is His?

Might a life feeling exhaustingly heavy, unhealthily hard, and joy killing harsh be a sign of being “out of God’s will” or at least “off God’s pace”? Might be worth thinking about!!

I’m pursuing these questions and more like these.

You? How you doing on this? Don’t settle. Align. With Him and His game plan. 

Here’s to you and your God given Life by Design!!! Live it well.