“Easy” Vs “Trouble”

Easy to Please

In the Passion Translation we read these beautiful words recorded by Matthew and spoken by Jesus, “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my way and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”

Awakening to Truth

These words changed my life. I could almost say that these words saved my life. It’s true – only Jesus’ work on the cross saved my life, but long after my salvation I was living what Paul calls “carnal Christianity” or fleshly Christianity, meaning that I was relying on my flesh to accomplish what I thought God wanted from me on this earth. I was so incredibly devoted to Him and felt (still feel) so indebted to Him and His Love and salvation that I wanted to “do” anything and everything to love Him, serve Him, and please Him. I truly lived by the mantra, “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.” I lived my life this way, sacrificing every blessing He had so graciously given me (marriage, children, time with family, gifts) on the alter of self work to earn righteousness. I thought if I did all the right things I would keep God pleased with me. As backwards as it was, it was truly from a place of pure love and devotion to Him. I just didn’t understand that it’s because I can never do all the right things that Jesus did them for me in my place. I was susceptible to every false teaching on earning favor and blessing through works. While I never believed that I earned my salvation- I knew only Jesus earned that for me, I did believe that after salvation I had to work hard every day to keep God happy with me so that He would be pleased with me and bless me. It’s so sad to me now that I used to view my Daddy in heaven this way. My Daddy who loves me unconditionally, who sacrificed everything so that I could receive all the blessings! Not based on my works but on His.

This passage in Matthew which reveals the beautiful heart of my Daddy spoken by Jesus, saved me from that old mindset. I was set free! Free to rest in Him. For His yoke is easy! Thank you Jesus! I was trying so hard. I literally tried until I almost died. But then I was awakened to the truth that what He requires is not hard. It’s easy! Those words breathed life into my parched soul that was trying to accomplish something I never could. That is the very definition of hard, not easy. Not only was I trying to accomplish something that I never could, but I was trying to accomplish something that had already been done. It has already been accomplished in the finished work of Christ on the cross never to be improved upon. My trying to improve or earn it myself is actually an insult to the cross. Because of the cross, what He requires of me is easy. Those words breathe life into my soul and I can never go back to the bondage of religion and legalism.

Troubled World

But these beautiful words are not to be confused with the words of Jesus that John recorded, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, what He requires of us is easy, but that doesn’t mean what we experience in this world will be easy. “In this world you will have trouble.” That’s what He tells us so it is true. And if you ask any human who has lived any considerable amount of time, they can confirm this is true. However, people are not our authority. Jesus is and this is what He says. Thankfully He doesn’t leave us there. He says – take heart! I have overcome all the trouble. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have it. It means He is bigger. He is greater. He lives in us and we live in Him. So when we do in fact face the trouble, we are overcomers because He overcame! Being exempt from trouble wouldn’t glorify God. Christians never experiencing trouble in this world wouldn’t reveal His power, but seeing believers that rest, trust, and worship Him within the trouble profoundly impacts this world.

The Secret Place within the Circumstance

I’m reminded of the movie The Grinch – when the seemingly worst thing that could have happened in Whoville – The Who’s woke up to no Christmas presents or decorations, but instead of being defeated by their circumstances, they came together and rested in the love they had for one another to give them joy. This display of love impacted the Grinch. They weren’t destroyed by their trouble. It was certainly there, but they were almost unaffected by it. In fact, they were more United because of it.

The earth has not yet been restored to its state of Shalom. But in Christ, our spirits have.

To the Philippians, the apostle Paul wrote, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” This is the same truth. There will be troubles. The earth has not yet been restored to its state of Shalom. But in Christ our spirits have. And because of Jesus we can be like The Who’s when troubles come. We rest in Love. We trust. We worship. This is something the world doesn’t understand. This opens their eyes to a Loving, Healing, Protective, Providing, Saving, and Redeeming Daddy who can be trusted.

To teach and believe that we are exempt from trouble is simply not true and would take away from the beauty and good that God does in the midst of the trouble. In the midst of the trouble is the miracle. It is Romans 8:28 on display – He does work all things for good. If there wasn’t something to work for good, the good in contrast wouldn’t be revealed. He doesn’t bring the bad. No, what He does is far more exceptional. He takes what the enemy means for evil and works it all for good. He supernaturally displays His power and love for others to see and supernaturally touches the most intimate places of our own hearts in the process. It is in times of trouble that we see the most beautiful truths of His heart and the depth of His Love for us. Who would want to miss out on that?

The Shalom Invitation

In this world we will have trouble. But we are not alone. We are one with the One who overcame the troubles. What He requires of us is easy. He invites us to rest as we trust and worship and enjoy the intimacy of growth in our understanding of Him as He displays His love, grace, and power to a lost and dying world!

Jesus said, “You will have trouble,” but He didn’t say that we live in trouble. We live in Shalom and Shalom lives in us so that we can have peace in the pain. We can have stillness in the storm and we can have restfulness in the reality of the wrestling. This is supernatural. This is something the world cannot explain and doesn’t have a file for. This is the beauty of what draws people in to see and desire this God of Peace. Light shines in darkness and peace radiates in turmoil. The contrast makes the starkness more apparent. And the starkness and beauty of His power is a peaceful leading and invitation to His abundant love and grace.

On your journey, consider this…

The troubles of this world are not avoidable, but what is required of us during the troubles is easy – to rest and receive love, grace, power, provision and peace from the One who overcame it all! For all refreshment and rest is found in Him!

May your journey bring freedom and your mind be ever renewed to His truth! – Angel