In 1934, an episode of Popeye the Sailor was entitled “Can You Take It” where Popeye desired to join a club of fighters. In this episode, it was questionable if Popeye would be able to take the club’s grueling initiation test. Ironically, it was also questionable whether the club would be able to take Popeye’s rough-housing.

What is it that you feel you have to “take” to fit in to the world’s fast pace? Today I come with bad news, good news. Bad news- you can never take enough, be enough or do enough to fit in with the world’s fast pace. Trying to keep up becomes burdensome and amounts to a “heavy yoke” of oppression because no amount of “keeping up” can make our sinful nature measure up to God’s holiness.

Good news! Jesus gives us the solution but I wonder can we take it? Will we take it?  In Matthew 11:28-30, He says, ²⁸ “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

This picture above is a yoke.  It is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow, cart or other device they are to pull.  In a practical sense, it seems most efficient if both animals would be capable of carrying their share of the load.  In contrast, the scripture above symbolizes the ease for us when we make a decision to yoke up with our sacrificing Savior!!!!

What makes this possible for His yoke to be so easy for us, especially when it seems in our own eyes, that living a life for Him means giving up so much?  It is made possible by simply believing that Jesus has already done for us what we could not do for ourselves and our only responsibility is to believe this in our hearts.  When we truly understand what He has done for us, we are persuaded to live a life that is holy and acceptable to God-completely in all that we say and all that we do.

That’s why I ask, “Can you take it?”-Why does it seem that we work so hard to fit in and to be accepted by others who can’t bring us peace that surpasses all understanding-when we can much more easily accept what Christ has offered, “an easy yoke and light burdens”?  Can you take the easy road or will you continue to work hard expending yourself beyond yourself for an ongoing quest for acceptance and affirmation from those who are incapable of doing only what God can do?