Recently one of my daughters basically said I’m functioning as a legalist. I took this as the most painful punch to my heart and gut. Calling me a legalist is about the worst thing possible to hear – and it’s something I have tried to work so hard against.
Then we had a family meeting and our two other daughters agreed to this “heavy burden” mentality. So now the painful punch became a debilitating injury. I started to revert more to my old ways that are never good, but incredibly harmful and painful. Thankfully, I have a patient loving husband who I’ve often said is “Jesus in the flesh to me.” He prays for me and speaks God’s truth over me.
As I read Jeremiah 28:11 today, Hananiah tells the people that the Lord will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar (the bad king’s oppression) upon them. I started to journal…Please God, break the yoke of oppression upon me as you did in Jeremiah’s time – Because after all, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).
Then Matthew 11:28-30 starting ringing in my ears…Jesus says His yoke is easy and burden is light. But why do I feel this harsh yoke and heavy burden? Because I forgot and started to go back to my old ways – works based self-righteousness law keeping – under a bad king’s rule – the enemy of my soul (1 Peter 5:8). Oh I know that I am not saved by my works, but I can start to function as if I am – without even realizing it.
Have I read the bible enough today? Have I taught the girls enough about God today? Am I submitting to my husband enough? Questions like these swirl around in my head…am I doing enough for God? Even though my intentions and motivations are truly to serve God, in my trying I start to lose focus of Jesus. Notice that these questions are about what I do and not what God did. God’s grace IS ENOUGH (2 Corinthians 12:9).
God did what I couldn’t do (Romans 8:3). Law-keeping is a heavy burden and yoke of oppression because no amount of me keeping the law can bridge the gap between my sin and God’s holiness – for I have broken ALL of God’s commands numerous times (James 2:10). God sees my heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
The Lord in His graciousness sends not one of my daughters, but all three, to point out my folly. I know that NO amount of self-righteous law keeping will keep me in right standing with God – my works are filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). The thought of a rag analogy used in Isaiah is as a women on her menstrual cycle. We have four girls in the house – I can get this dirty visual pretty well.
The yoke that Jesus gives is easy and his burden is light. How? Because it is by faith. My relationship with Jesus started 17 years ago through repentance and faith. And today is no different. I walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). And this walk of faith pleases God (2 Corinthians 5:9a). God’s commandments are not hard or burdensome when lived through a gospel lens of faith.
Jesus broke my hard yoke and heavy burden at the cross of Calvary. Just like the days of Jeremiah, the Lord breaks the yoke of the bad king – Satan’s – oppression upon me. I can’t break the yoke myself. That again would be an act of self-righteousness.
No amount of “self” can come in between me and my Savior. “Myself” was nailed to the cross with Christ so I can live by faith (Galatians 2:20).
All of us can slip back into our old ways of thinking and doing, but the Lord is faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13). He sends three beautiful rewards from Him to correct my unbiblical thinking (Psalm 127:3). He who began a good work in my heart 17 years ago, will complete it (Philippians 1:6).
Oh thank you God for the reminder from our three girls to live by faith and not by works. You removed my oppression. Help me to not fall back into my old ways. And if I do, please send your saints once again to remind me to walk by faith. I am under your easy yoke and light burden. In Jesus precious name, Amen.