Message Notes
From Burnout to Balance
Today: How to Lighten Your Load
January 25, 2004

 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

HOW TO LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD

 

1. TURN TO JESUS

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall; ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Why don’t we always do this?

1.        We think we can HANDLE IT on our own.

2.        We often FORGET what God is really like. 

3.        For some, we have never STARTED a relationship with Christ.

 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Dear God, thank You for bringing me here.  I knew something was missing in my life, I just didn’t know it was you.  Thank You for seeking me even when I’ve ignored You.  Today, I recognize the gift that You sent at Christmas. Today, Jesus, I want to accept You into my life and I ask you to forgive me for all of the things I’ve done wrong.  I want to accept Your gift of help to help me in the present time.  I want to accept Your gift of eternal life for the future.  I ask You, Jesus Christ, to start changing me from the inside out beginning right now. In your name I pray, Amen.

 

2. GIVE UP CONTROL

 

Matthew 11:29a, 30 “Take My yoke upon you…For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

 

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you…

 

When I'm “yoked” with Christ, we move together in the same DIRECTION and at the same PACE.

 

Galatians 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

 

3. LEARN TO TRUST

Matthew 11:29b “…Learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

 

Proverbs 3:5-12 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. ⁸ This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. ⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; ¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. ¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, ¹² because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

 

 

My relationship with Jesus, based on the above principles, will help me to:

1.        Accept my human LIMITATIONS

2.        Schedule REST into my schedule

3.        PRUNE my activities periodically

4.        Do LESS and trust God MORE

 

Doing these will build MARGIN into my life, which is the difference between my total available time and the time my schedule consumes.