The Burden of Self: Pride

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Matthew 11.29-30 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Have you ever contemplated the debilitating effects and burden that we willingly place on ourselves? Through our choice to enthrone our own will we embrace a ruthless taskmaster, a great burden of disappointment while the light and easy yoke of Christ is forsaken.

Job 30.27 My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest…

What is the price we pay for the privilege of being in bondage to pride and self concern?

• Constant worry about other’s opinion of you
• Stress and emotion over perceived slights of our character
• Frustration when overlooked, or unacknowledged, or not recognized
• Disappointment when our contributions or self-determined worth is not rewarded

We fight a fierce battle with our touchy, sensitive heart that is amazingly aware of the slightest injustice and wants to “set the record straight”.

Isn’t it funny (if hypocrisy can be funny) how we humbly admit to God one moment our unworthiness and wretchedness; how we are sinful and completely undeserving of blessing and attention from Him… then two hours later we are fuming and upset because we were criticized by someone, overlooked by the boss, or treated ungratefully by a friend.

God is not fooled by our words that don’t match our behavior and responses.

Take refuge rest in the “light and easy” yoke of Christ. Forsake the burden of your pride for the liberty of knowing that Jesus is pleased with you.

From an eternal perspective, does it really matter…

• If someone thinks you’re not so great after all?
• If another person receives honor that you should have gotten?
• If you are overlooked and unappreciated?
• If you are slandered or made to endure injustice?

Why carry that burden when our only real concern is God’s opinion of us? If you’re right with God, then your life towards other men will be right, even if they don’t acknowledge it.

Ps 37. 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him…

Is there any lasting reward from the acknowledgement and recognition of man? Or is it fleeting, inconsistent, insincere and fragile?

Ecc 2.23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

There is unending burden, toil, frustration and disappointment in our pursuit of “self”.

It is unnecessary to carry the burden.
You have a choice.

Let Jesus carry the burden of your reputation, your recognition, your receipt of criticism, and your endurance of injustice. Rest in the simple blessed peace of obeying God’s Word and putting your trust in Him.

Jer 6.16 Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.”

In Jesus there is peace and rest and comfort and freedom from this self-imposed bondage.

Lord, help us today to release the consuming burden of self-concern. May we truly learn to look to you with eyes of faith, unable to return our gaze to ourselves. What a blessing to give up worry about our reputation, recognition, and fairness. Let us put those things in Your hands, and rest in the freedom and peace of knowing that you are well pleased with us, and that’s all that really matters. Amen.