“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.” Matthew 11:29 (NLT)
Everyone wants to know the antidote to anxiety because we all experience it. We live in stressful times and rest for our bodies and souls seems elusive.
But it’s not a secret: Jesus wants you to worry less and trust him more. He says in Matthew 11:29, “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” (NLT).
After you come to Jesus and let him share your load, he wants you to learn from him. Why? Because Jesus is never in a hurry. He sets a pace that comes from a gentle and humble heart that is meant to bring life and not weariness. Jesus modeled for us how to live with peace and purpose, and following his example is how we refill our spiritual and emotional tanks. Watch how he lived, and do it the way he did.
Learning to live like Jesus is a process. You won't learn it overnight because you didn't develop your overloaded lifestyle overnight. But no matter how long it takes, you can learn to trust him.
You can learn from Jesus how to be gentle and humble. But how is that going to help you? Gentleness and humility don’t seem like the natural cure for being stressed out and tired. Maybe you would expect him to say, "Learn from me, and I'll teach you how to have endurance and stamina."
Jesus wants you to learn to be gentle and humble because aggression and arrogance are two of the biggest causes of stress and emptiness in life.
Aggression is when we don't want to wait for anything, and we over-commit ourselves. It's the opposite of gentleness.
Arrogance is when we try to control everything. Our ego is responsible for more stress and arrogance in our lives than we realize.
The antidote to the two biggest causes of stress in your life is gentleness and humility. You learn them by reminding yourself every day that you’re not God and you’re not anybody's savior.
Spend time with Jesus, and you’ll see how gentleness and humility lead to rest.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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