How would you describe your Christian walk? Up and down, peaks and valleys? Good days and bad days? Would you characterize your spiritual life as vibrant and free or continually battling your self-life (your personal rights, depression, unresolved relationships, entitlement…)?
Are you living a “Christian” illusion?
If you want to learn of me, put your head in the yoke!
What?! No way! Who does that?
WHY… I’D HAVE TO GIVE UP MY FREEDOM AND SUBMIT
TO THE OTHER PERSON IN THE YOKE!
ARE YOU CRAZY???
“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 light”! Matt. 11:28-30
The Church will instruct us
The Bible will inform us
Prayer will empower and direct us.
But only…The Yoke will teach us how to live
and respond “in the Spirit” to life situations
on a continual basis.
Ezekiel 37:1-6 is a lesson on a “valley of dry bones”. What does that have to do with my spiritual walk, you ask? Lots! Spiritual deadness is a permeating and engulfing phenomenon in our culture, churches, homes and hearts. It sort of swallows us up like a tsunami! Biblical Christianity is defined by our consistent attitudes in life practice.
We carry seeds of decay through disobedience and rebellion toward God (i.e. anger, jealousy, self-love…). We have adopted patterns through wrong influences and teachings (friends, music, ungodly worldviews, Hollywood, social media...). Maybe we have been a believer since we cannot remember BUT there are places where we really do NOT know our own need. Our life has become an illusion of biblical Christianity. There is a measure of self-confidence and pride built on our bones…
God says, “I will make breath enter you and you will come to life”. God works out of Death! Death to self! His desire is to breathe life into our dead bones, moment by moment. No illusion here…
An illusion is a lie; it is not real. Disillusionment with our daily walk is a gift of God… a challenge to enter into the yoke with Him and His rest... learning from His gentle and humble heart.
There are two yokes:
1) The yoke with Christ and righteous purposes
2) The yoke with Satan and his kill, steal and destroy
purposes Jn.10: 10
We choose who is in the yoke with us with every choice we make!
My husband asked me if every choice I make is a spiritual one? For the life of me, I could not think of a single one that is not! Can you think of one that is not a deliberate choosing of one kingdom or the other?
By taking Christ’s yoke upon us, we yield our right to do as we please, and we learn the wishes and commands of Christ our leader.
God is not nearly concerned with what we are going through as He is with our response to what we go through. His chief concern is that our attitude becomes consistent with His Son. The question is: Who do you choose to be in the yoke with you today? There are only two choices!
Choose wisely, young mothers, little ones are watching and stepping into the same yoke with you.
“ It was for freedom that Christ set us free:
therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again
to a yoke of slavery (law/sin).” Galatians 5: 1
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is discipling and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
