The Yoke Factor


Welcoming and inspiring others around you must involve the “yoke” factor. In my first new Blog entry below, I refer to “The Left Seat” --- how to serve and inspire anyone who is sitting, standing, working or walking beside you. None of us are meant to live in isolation. We are each created by God and designed to live in intimate relationship with Jesus. This relationship is intended to be progressively growing and continuously empowering so that we bear much fruit from Jesus and for Him. This is the result of our spiritual impact in and through persons in close proximity to us (John 15:16) – what I called the Left Seat in my previous column.

It was our Savior and Lord Jesus Himself who used the word “yoke” to describe the relational faith connection with Him. According to Matt 11:28-30, “…Jesus said ‘Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens…Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.’” (NLT)

The word “yoke” as used by the Lord Jesus here means more than a partnership or union but an empathetic perspective. It requires you or me to put myself in the shoes of another. To be yoked to Jesus is to see all of life through His eyes and mind (Philippians 2:5).


My friend, God calls you to live and act in partnership with (i. e. yoked with Him) and in faith dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christians are called partners together with God in His Gospel ministry (2 Corinthians 6:1). If you make yourself fully available to God, You will become His partner but also his righteous, Christ-like agent through which He reconciles unbelieving persons to Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20). It is amazing how God will touch, connect and transform others to Himself if we relate and act in unity — yoked with Jesus and yoked with fellow Christians or as the apostle Paul describes it—knit together in love (Colossians 2:2).

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