Have you ever found yourself at a point in your life when you feel you’ve reached the limit? You feel as though there is nowhere else to turn, nowhere else to run, nowhere else to hide, and nowhere else that will help. This can be a place of utter and complete hopelessness in which darkness surrounds you. The walls are closing in, the wolves are at the door, and “the bottom is out of the tub” (to quote Abraham Lincoln).
This can be a place of deep despair, and if you are a human being I’m sure that you have been in this situation a time or two. While I cannot name the specific incident in which you found, or found, yourself, I’m sure the feelings are a mutual experience that drags you down and consumes you with dread. This leads to the ultimate question, what do I (you) do now?

One of the reasons that the world is in such a state of chaos and dissatisfaction is that we refuse to seek the one thing that provides solace for those predicaments. Now you must be thinking at this point, here is where Pastor Mike says, “All I need is God and my problems will just fade away and I will live in perfect bliss all of my days.” Sadly, that is not what I’m here to offer. To say such words would be like a snake oil salesman promising a list of cures when all the tonic will do is simply drag you down further. The truth is, we must first accept that the trials we face are going to come, they will rear their ugly heads, and we will have to endure.

But we do not have to endure alone.

Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV). Now, at a simple glance what Jesus is saying is, “Follow me, and your life will be easy and carefree!” But that would be a gross misinterpretation of this scripture. We must first examine what Jesus means when he says “yoke.” This is an old agricultural term to describe the harnesses that were connected to oxen in biblical times. But the other use of description was the bondage or burden brought upon by one’s inability to live without sin. Jesus used this term to describe how persons or peoples of the time felt unable to truly follow the full mosaic and Levitical laws, they were doomed to constantly live in fear of their human inability to fully obey God. The walls closing in around them and with no clear way out of their predicament, sound familiar?

Jesus came to this earth and took on that yoke of inescapable dread and fear. He placed the burden of perfection upon himself that it might be removed from our own shoulders. What he placed in its stead was the yoke of following Christ to one’s best ability, without fear of eternal punishment of failure. But it is still a yoke, it still entails handling the various burdens and trials that come with life. What is removed is the deep-seated fear of ultimate failure and defeat. Christ has promised that his yoke can be to and for all people. We just have to remember that we cannot always see the full horizon of the story.

Where are you today? Are you in despair over some recent health news, are you frustrated with your profession, has financial worry consumed you, is your family experiencing trials, is your faith on wavering ground? What Christ offers to ALL of this is not an immediate removal of today’s problems, but a removal of all eternal fears and concerns as well as the promise of continuous presence and guidance. Why do you think God is the last one many of us turn to? It is because it is the first thing we need, and humanity is a stubborn lot.

Today is another day in your life to simply submit yourself to Christ’s peace and presence. Maybe all this will provide is a moment of respite from your fears, but at least you will have that moment. What Christ reminds us of is that every day there is new hope for your life and the life of others. This may be a moment of trial, but Christ promises victory in the end.

With Christ one never loses hope, without Christ, there exists little reason to hope. Perhaps if you have tried everything else, it is time to try God.

Peace and Blessings friends.

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Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX