by Pastor Mark Jordan
“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.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
This week I want us to revisit the themes we’ve explored in worship at church at the well during the month of June. We talked about What Would Jesus UNdo? as a way to think about how far we’ve come from What Would Jesus Do?
Do you remember the WWJD bracelets? I had so many! The fad faded, but the heart of the matter didn’t. We still see the way Jesus would have us live, and realize we fall so short. Still, Jesus wants us to learn from Him the way we are to live. As a result, we need to get honest with some of the ways we have chosen to live. Before we dig into those, though, I want us to look at what Jesus longed to teach.
So what might one of the first things be Jesus would have us UNdo? Look at today’s verse and think about what He is trying to teach. Relationship, not religion. Jesus wants to teach you to live freely and lightly, not burdened by rules and restrictions. Of course, we all are called to live a life of holiness, so this isn’t an excuse to go willy-nilly; but, there is a vast freedom for living when we live in a life-giving relationship with the Lord.
Jesus is calling out to you. Will you hear and heed Him? Will you allow yourself to learn those unforced rhythms of grace? It’s time to unlearn some of the things we have learned, so we can get back to a true sense of WWJD, and follow Him. Always.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your love. Forgive me for the times I’ve made living with you about rules and religion as opposed to relationship. As I think about what it means to live for and with you, help me to remember it’s all about living in your grace. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Water 