Humility is a breath of fresh air in a world that is driven by self-will and unrest. What would the world be like if Christians were gentle and humble like Jesus and chose to remain under His yoke!?
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)
Jesus invited us to take His yoke upon us and learn from His gentleness and humility. We can be successfully yoked to Jesus when we are willing to surrender our control. Humility allows us to realize that we are not the ones running the show and we don’t determine where we are going and how fast we will get there. Being yoked to Jesus is about abiding in Him. He takes the lead to guide us through life. He also sets the pace. If we are not humble, we will become restless under the yoke and will attempt to take charge. Humility gives us the grace to let go of control and be joyful followers.
Humble people do well in not trying to figure things out. They have an easier time surrendering themselves to God and trusting Him. They have faced the reality that they are not in control, and they are not fighting it. Humble people are not worried about what everyone else is doing or thinking. They are content in their state of life and are not comparing their lives to others. The above passage tells us that the benefit of a lifestyle yoked to Jesus is that our burden will be light. We will not carry heavy burdens that don’t belong to us, and we will receive rest in our souls.
Do you feel burdened by life and choices? Are you trying to fix someone else’s problems? Do you find that when you lose control you’re not very gentle or meek anymore? Do you find arrogance and control lifting their ugly heads when you come under pressure? Seek God, pray, and fast. Ask the Lord to deliver you from the spirit of pride and to replace it with a spirit of humility.
Find joy in your relationship with God and the fact that you get to abide with Jesus. Let Him lead you in solving those problems that belong to you. Trust Him with the problems that don’t belong to you. He is working on your loved ones. The Lord has a plan for their lives and He knows how to get their attention and make Himself known to them just He did to us.
How amazing it would be if Christians learned from Jesus’ gentleness and humility! Can the world identify us as gentle and humble people!? This secret ingredient can be life-changing not only in our lives but also in a world that is full of pride, self-will, and opinions.
Image by CLAUDINE BARGETON from Pixabay