Exchange Your Panic for God’s Peace
By Rick Warren
“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” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV).
It’s hard to think of another time during the year when our lives are more rushed than the holidays. We hit the holiday parties, visit the relatives, buy gifts, and basically run ourselves ragged.
We may sing about “Peace on Earth” during the Christmas season, but most of us aren’t experiencing it.
So what’s the antidote? A night out? A relaxing trip to the beach? A week of sleep?
Those activities might refresh your body, but they’ll hardly restore your soul.
When we’re empty inside, our culture tells us we need more. We need to do more, go more, and be more.
Jesus says something different.
The antidote to our overloaded soul isn’t a time-management program. It’s not a philosophy. It’s not a plan. It’s a person. It’s Jesus.
The Bible 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” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).
How can we exchange our panic for God’s peace? These verses give us three important clues.
1. Come to Jesus.
You don’t do this just once — you do it every single day. No matter what the problem, no matter how deep the hurt, you bring it to Jesus.
2, Connect with Jesus.
Jesus says we must yoke up with him. The yoke is a piece of wood that puts two cattle together to pull a cart. It makes a load easier because the two cattle are sharing it. Jesus doesn’t want you to carry all your burdens. You weren’t designed to do that. He wants you to “yoke up” with him. He wants to share your burdens.
3. Let Jesus change you.
Jesus wants you to learn from him. And as you do, he’ll change you in the process. For example, Matthew 11 tells us that he wants to make us more humble and gentle. You might think that the road to real peace would be more about endurance and stamina.
But God knows what causes the stress in your life. He knows humility and gentleness are the antidotes to the two biggest causes of stress in your life: arrogance and aggression. Jesus wants to give you a better way — but you have to learn from him. You must let him change you.
The Bible says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
Are you tired of being stressed out? Are you ready to have true peace that only comes from Jesus?
It’s yours for the taking. It’s a free gift to you.
To find out more about how you can receive this free gift, visit pastorrick.com/know-god.
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Talk It Over
- What are some of the most significant causes of stress in your life?
- Why do you think humility and gentleness play an important role in reducing anxiety in our lives?
- Who can you help this week discover the peace that only Jesus can bring?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
The Most Requested Rick Warren Sermons - Vol. 3
Do you want to experience a joy filled Christian life? If you do, then it’s essential to anchor your life in the wisdom of God’s Word. That’s why we’ve assembled a very special 6 CD collection of Pastor Rick’s most requested teachings. Many people have shared that these messages have inspired them spiritually and also helped them in very practical ways. You’ll want to listen to these teachings again and again and share them with your family members and friends.
This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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