28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
When you spoke this, you were (and still are) inviting each of us into a real, loving and liberated relationship with you. For, man has identified and skewed what it means to be “good”, “holy” or “Christian” with rigid rules and distorted expectations. For some time I’ve been involved in activities that are helping me re-frame my understanding of what you require.
You invite me to come to you. You invite me to follow you – the truth. Not some human’s interpretation of your truth, which can vary and be misinterpreted based upon a false understanding. You tell me “come right to the source and learn from me, the Truth”. So, I come. I want to live my life fully, in and through you. I want rest from struggle – struggle of trying to measure up to rules, laws and guidelines rooted in shame and condemnation and ones that I am unsuccessful at trying to keep in my own might.
The rhythms of grace you speak of – they sound like freedom, surrender, a departure from self and identifying only as the child of the king. I can be encouraged by the fact that your yoke, your ways/thoughts/model for living, although not without some level of work, is freeing. Freedom is there because you have already paid the price. Freedom is there because that rhythm you speak of empowers, takes on the struggle, burdens and weight. Your yoke is light because you have done the heavy lifting on the cross and provided us a gift of salvation. You continue doing the heavy lifting, working on my behalf, providing, protecting, leading, teaching, fighting my battles.
All you ask is that I come, follow, learn and co-labor with you. I recommit to you – yes, I will follow you!
Amen.