Rest for the Weary Workin’ Mama Soul, a 7-Day Devotional by KeNosha WhiteheadSample

Day 3: The Instruction to and Impact of Rest

Now, Jesus instructs the people of Israel how to experience the rest he promises. Jesus directs them to take on his yoke like a farmer would yoke or connect two animals using a wooden crosspiece called a yoke bar or yoke beam. The farmer’s strategic intent was to evenly distribute the weight of the load the two animals carried together, making the task easier and lighter. Next, Jesus qualifies himself (and distinguishes himself from the Pharisees) when he declares that he is humble and gentle at heart, desirable character traits that undoubtedly make his yoke trustworthy. Jesus further instructs his listeners to let him be their teacher. And finally, Jesus describes the nature of his yoke as easy, which translates from the Greek word “chrestos” to mean “delightful or comfortable,” and he describes the nature of his burden as light, which translates from Greek word “elaphron” to mean “easy to bear or manageable.”

When Jesus instructs us to take his yoke upon us and learn from him, he calls us to a deeply committed life of discipleship and fellowship with him. He is beckoning us to allow him to humbly and gently teach us his transformative truth and his perfect way of being, living, and doing.

Ok, this is where the word to us might be hard to hear, workin’ mamas. Jesus says that when we are connected to him in meek submission to his leadership and his will, our life’s load should be comfortable, and our burden should be manageable. Yikes on a bike! All ten toes stepped on! Because—and hear me in my full Southern accent—this ain’t how this workin’ mama is living, y’all!

Disclaimer: I do not wish to insinuate that there are no burdens, particularly in hard and harsh seasons of suffering, that bring discomfort and overwhelm that God uses to draw us closer to him. Remember, the context here is following rules and living up to religious, social, and cultural expectations.

So, what are we busy, burdened, burnt out workin’ mamas missing that keeps us from knowing the rest Jesus promised?

The truth is we will find rest for our souls when we commit and connect to Jesus. When we are intimately yoked with the Lord, in the humble and gentle way only he can, he will help us assess our plate. He will supernaturally direct us to adjust and control our portion(s) in purposeful and life-giving ways, not heavy and onerous, but easy and light. Could we be weary in our work and motherhood because we carry responsibilities, people, problems, and—combined for emphasis—people’s problems that God never intended for us to carry? Perhaps we are majoring in the minors because, disconnected from God, we have lost sight of who and what matters most. Your revitalized relationship with the Lord will bring the realignment required to access the rest he has promised, the rest for which you eagerly long.

Reflection Questions

1. How might Jesus lead me to a more purposeful and properly portioned plate of responsibilities (a more comfortable and manageable load) so I can more fully experience his rest?