“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Mt. 11:28-30
The Invitation we all Desire
Jesus invites you to the good life. A life that is restful. A life that is free from oppressive labor and heavy burdens. You are not alone in that deep seated yearning to find joy. We all have that longing in our hearts that compels us to venture forth on a quest for true and lasting happiness. And for good reason, for God programed that desire in each and every one of us. That desire is actually a gift from God, for it moves us all toward the true source of all happiness. It encourages us to listen to and accept the invitation of Jesus to a life we all yearn for.
While it is true that God created us with a built-in desire for happiness and joy, it is also true that such desires can get twisted and perverted into a constant and ultimately futile quest for endless gratification. Such pursuits seem to be fun and rewarding in the moment, but they always bring us to that place of two seemingly opposite outcomes. We either feel empty and unfulfilled and thus compelled to jump back on the laborious hamster wheel of ceaseless gratification -or- are weighed down with this oppressive burden of guilt and hopelessness. This twisted and perverted quest for joy and happiness is the stuff God calls “sin”.
Understanding Sin
Here’s what you need to understand about sin. It is not merely a biblical list of bad things that are actually quite fun to do. Far from it. Sin is the perversion of good things. Sin can bring short term gratification, but it always ends up shortchanging you. In the long-term, sin always takes away more from you than it gives. And that is the burden of sin. It is a heavy load that over time just gets heavier and heavier. That is what you need to understand about sin. It can bring momentary gratification, but soon, very soon, you must get right back on that terrible hamster wheel of sin. And every time you do, you just add a little more weight to your already heavy burden. AND. IT. NEVER. STOPS.
Until you allow that deep seated yearning for true and lasting happiness to bring you to Jesus. Until you accept his invitation. Jesus will teach you how to say no to sin. He will help you find the strength you need to accept the challenge of casting off the heavy burden of sin. Jesus will teach you that life isn’t really a happiness quest, but it is a truth quest. Jesus will teach you that you need to be looking for what is actually true, and not just for the things you think will make you happy. And in so doing he will give you a good life. No more mere flashes of gratification that soon vanish away. Despite the difficulties you will encounter, Jesus will show you how to overcome and flourish. He invites you to a life of lasting happiness. To a joy that endures. He invites you to go on a quest for truth and in so doing create a life that flourishes now, and forever!