#27 Learn to Rest in Christ ___ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------One symptom of depression is boredom. The every-day things that one used to enjoy (job, recreation, etc.) become laborious and tiresome. In this verse the depressed person is invited to embark on a supernatural adventure-the adventure of learning from the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit those things which produce the internal rest that only God can give. Many Christians try to cover up their sad emotions by taking on more and more work. They become workaholics to avoid looking at themselves or their true feelings. They fool themselves into thinking these additional responsibilities are from God. Then they get angry at God for giving them such a difficult yoke and such heavy burdens.
In reality, the difficult yoke and heavy burdens are not from God, but are self-imposed. They are a choice, perhaps handed down from a legalistic, negavitistic church. They may even be a compensation for suppressed inferiority feelings and a fear of failure. God wants us to cast off our self-imposed difficult tasks and heavy burdens and replace them with His easy yoke and light burden. We don't need to waste our time doing twenty superfluous chores a day to prove our worth. It is better to do every day two or three things which God convinces us to do, and to do them well!
