At our last Online Bible Study, we circled back to a key theme we explored at When the Gals Gather 2025: rest. Specifically, we talked about one of the biggest roadblocks to rest – control and trying to do it all.
And then someone asked a question that I think we’ve all wondered:
“I know I need to rest, but I still have things to do. Work to be done. Responsibilities to be fulfilled. Bills to pay. What then?”
Absolutely. As much as we might want to, we can’t just sit in our prayer closet all day. We have to work. We have responsibilities. Life doesn’t pause because we need a break.
But here’s what I love about Jesus: He shows us another way to approach work – one where we can still experience rest at the same time.
A Different Kind of Invitation
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you,” He’s using imagery His audience would have understood immediately.
A yoke was a wooden harness placed across the necks of two oxen, connecting them together so they could pull a plow or cart in unison. It ensured the animals moved in the same direction and shared the load evenly.
Often, a young or weaker ox would be paired with a stronger, more experienced one. The seasoned ox carried the brunt of the weight, setting the pace while the younger one learned how to walk in rhythm.
When Jesus invites us to take His yoke, He’s inviting us into partnership – one where He carries the heavy weight and teaches us to walk in step with Him.
Two Very Different Yokes
The World’s Yoke
The world’s yoke is about striving, proving, and performing.
- It says your worth depends on how much you produce
- It piles on expectations: success, appearance, control, comparison, perfection
- It leads to exhaustion, anxiety, and spiritual burnout
Jesus’ Yoke
Jesus’ yoke is about surrender and trust.
- It says your worth is already secure in Him
- It invites you to work with Him, not for Him – to move in His rhythm of grace
- It leads to soul-level rest because He bears the greater weight
When Jesus says, “My yoke is easy,” the Greek word for “easy” (chrestos) means well-fitting – like a yoke that’s been perfectly shaped for your shoulders.
In other words, life with Him still involves work and responsibility, but the load fits because it’s shared with Him.
Learn From Me
Here’s something that struck me about this passage: Jesus says, “Learn from me.”
I would have assumed He’d say, “Learn from me, for I am strong and fearless.” But that’s not what He says.
He says, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”
Jesus models complete submission to the Father – even while working, even while carrying out His mission. It’s a difference in heart posture.
The deliverables didn’t change. The work didn’t change. But we did.
What It Means for Us
Taking on Jesus’ yoke means:
- Walking in step with Him instead of racing ahead or dragging behind
- Letting Him set the pace – learning to move when He moves and rest when He rests
- Trusting Him to carry what’s too heavy – your outcomes, your image, your need to control
And when you do, something shifts:
The load doesn’t disappear, but it no longer crushes you.
Your soul finds rest, not because there’s nothing to do, but because you’re no longer doing it alone.
And that’s where true rest begins – not in escaping the work, but in learning to carry it with Him.
Reflection Question
What would it look like to yoke yourself to Jesus this week?