School has only been out for a couple of weeks or so, and people are already talking about what they did for summer vacation!

It is good to take a break once in a while to reset and re-evaluate your life and just have some plain ole fun before getting back to your daily routine.

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes three that there is a time and a season for every activity under the sun. Vacation time definitely fits in there somewhere!

But there is one thing we must never take a break from, and that is our love, commitment, and praise of Jehovah God! When we team up with God, He makes sure our load in life is never too heavy to bear.

 In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying, “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV).”

What a tremendous reassurance!

This passage causes the reader to think about two oxen working side by side with their heads or necks fastened together with a yoke.

Even if the pair gets along with each other, the strain of the yoke is a constant reminder to the animals that they are not free to roam on their own. If you were an ox, you may not like that!

But Jesus points out that when a Christian is yoked together with him, that he bears the part of the load that would be impossible for us to bear on our own.

The hope and joy he provides for us makes being yoked to him a very good prospect because he is a humble teacher who only requires from us what we can handle (and in reality he even helps us with that).

In fact, if we were separated from Christ, our attempts to overcome sin and win even one spiritual battle would be fruitless.

Satan is very skilled at tempting Christians to take a vacation from God when we take time off from our jobs and school.

The problem is that when our vacation time is up, we have allowed ourselves to become a little cozier with the devil.  

This makes facing those spiritual battles in the real world even more difficult.

The fact is when our will is in line with God’s will, life becomes joyful even in spite of the challenges and temptations that are sure to come our way.

As Christians, we must remember to make it our commitment everyday (even while on vacation) when we wake up to walk God’s righteous and narrow path that leads to heaven. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection has made this possible. Will you walk with him today?  Have a great week!

Reach Barrett Vanlandingham at the Fort Gibson Church of Christ at (918) 478-2222 or barrett@ftgcc.org.