Matthew 11:28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Learn - to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience: to become informed of or acquainted with: to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example.
The thing is..... am I ever going to finish learning? I mean is there a time when I will have learned and I can just apply what I have learned and not think about what's next. I suppose not. I guess when the day comes that I stop learning I will be dead. I need to stop thinking of learning as a destination as though I could learn all there is to know. Learning is a journey and at the moment you learn - something else is revealed - for you to learn.
For me learning has been greatly influenced by the teacher. Years ago I decided to learn how to play the guitar. I did not like the teacher, so I "learned" on my own. For that reason, I am not a good or even average guitar player. At one point I bought a Martin Guitar which is one of the best. That did not help make me a better guitar player. It only made people think I was good. The real problem with me learning is exactly what I did with playing the guitar. I learned it on my own. That has been a large part of my life. When I wanted to work on my car as a teenager I tore a transmission apart and rebuilt it on my own. A few weeks longer than anticipated and a few leftover parts later it was back up and running...... but with no reverse. Did I mention that no reverse was the original problem? Did I take it to a transmission specialist? No, I didn't have any money. So what could I do but tear it apart again and rebuild it one more time. After all I now have some experience. It took me less time the second time around but I still ended up with a few leftover pieces. Second time was a charm. I sold it for $100 dollars and bought my next car for $300. I have done dozens of things that way. I have never been afraid to try anything. But very few if any have I chosen to do over and over. I do still play at the guitar but, I would no longer do any type repair on my car and as I said, that goes for dozens of other things as well. I have embraced the idea that necessity is the mother of invention. Necessity has driven a large part of my life.
While that may sound exciting to some it could be the reason why I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. It could also be why I get bored so easily.
What does all this have to do with learning to live freely and lightly? Well...... If anyone can teach me it is the man who spoke these words. I have tried to learn them on my own over and over. For months I have felt a call to "Be still and know." For a guy who has always done, it is difficult to be still. I "Do still" really well. I want to live freely and lightly. We have achieved some level of success in that. But... no where near to being able to say that freely and lightly are a lifestyle for us. On any given day freely and lightly looks different, still dependent on the circumstances of that day.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Three times Jesus says the same thing yet different each time. And, less words each time He says it. Perhaps the message for me, - within the message - is that "less is more?"
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