Are You YOKED to God?

"What does it mean to be Yoked to God or Yoked by the Spirit?"

I'm not talking about egg yokes...I'm talking about the yoke that goes around an animals neck that harnesses them to a plow or cart. The picture I'd want you to get in your head is a double yoke, meaning two oxen or horses are pulling something side by side.

Jesus told us that if we were laden down with heavy burdens he would give us rest. He stated that we are to take His yoke upon us because it is easier and lighter than that of the world. Because the scripture is almost always used when trying to encourage the weary, the portion that says to take upon His yoke is some how overseen as if it weren't a constraint of some kind. Jesus is in fact telling us we are to take on a constraining yoke and a burden, His!

God rebuked the people of Judah during the time of the prophet Jeremiah for having broken the yoke and bursting off the bonds of His leading. For that he spoke words of desolation against them.

"What is the yoke for? What purpose is therein being placed under a burden? Aren't we to be set free? Haven't we received liberty in Christ?" Yes, and No! The Yoke is as much of our freedom and liberty as our salvation. The yoke is for our training process. Training is the breaking of the self-will, reprogramming a formerly wild & unruly animal for the work of service in a new habitation. So that one can live in an orderly fashion in the protection and blessing of a master. All of the Disciples except Judas Iscariot underwent this process and took this yoke upon themselves. James and John were quick to react with violence before they under went it, they were called sons of thunder for wanting to destroy and call down fire on others. Peter was an arrogant prideful man before he submitted to the yoke.

Paul was certainly yoked by the Lord and sensitive to that yoke. He recognized when it was steering him to the right or to the left. He often times speaks of chains, but never with a discouraged heart. He understood the purpose of the Holy Spirit in those chains. Though they were literal chains he recognized the spiritual yoke or chains on him in obedience to God. He saw himself as a slave of Christ.

He encouraged the Roman believers and us, that we should see ourselves as slaves of Christ. We ought to submit to the leading of the Spirit and present our bodies as slaves of righteousness for holiness. It's in so doing, we will have the fruit of that holiness worked out in our lives and in the end have everlasting life. He states that those that are led by the Spirit of God, those are the sons of God.

"If we are sons of The Father, aren't there rules of the house?" "Doesn't every home have some laws, rules to adhere to?" The book of Proverbs mentions these laws and many times equates them with the wisdom of God. We are told not to forsake them , and though they will be graceful ornaments on our head they will also be chains around our neck. The blessings they grant are long life, prosperity as well as the favor of man and God. We are encouraged by the Word of God that if we submit to the leading of the Spirit and willingly obey we shall have blessings of eternal weight.

Being yoked by the Spirit allows us to learn of his ways, go according to His guidance, recognize His prodding. All of this is for the conforming of our will and desires to His. Being conformed to anything, is fashioning one's self according to a pattern; taking on the exact shape of a mold. The pattern and mold set for us is Jesus Christ. We have been predestined to be conformed into the image of the Father?s Son. Romans 12:1-2 requires us to make our bodies as a living sacrifice on a continual basis so that we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind and will. The more we submit to His leading, correction and will the more we break the image ofthe world and take on the image of the Son.

Bearing the yoke of the Lord and being harnessed by His Spirit strengthens our walk. Due to the resistance involved in bearing the weight of the yoke, our spiritual muscles are increased. The longer we couple ourselves to the Lord the more mature we become, able to understand what the Lord is intending for us. Not only are we conformed, taking on a pattern not our own; we become transformed, becoming something different than what we are. Staying in that harness we go further than simply taking on the form of godliness, we become holy. It equips us for tasks beyond our abilities!

I've been in various situations where I was not capable of performing to speed and yet God used the situation to form me and because I was willing to come under His harness he equipped me for it. If we are willing to be yoked by God, Willing to go to the fields He sends us to, then we will be increased and strengthened to become the strong laborers He needs and desires!

Sometimes the Lord takes us into a new field, we think that the terrain is not for us, someone else is better equipped for the task, He can use us and prepare us for it if we will let Him. If we are doubtful, He will encourage, embolden our hearts to go. But if we refuse and remain in the stall, or refuse and stay out where we think we are free in the fields of the world's pleasures and justifications, galloping and frolicking on the hills, mocking those we seek allowing themselves to be restrained by God's training and spirit, we most often are merely being stubborn, self-willed & rebellious to His request, and may not have a second chance.

Being in the Yoke with Christ, is when we can say, 'Where you lead, I will follow', 'Your strength (grace) is made strong in my weakness'.

Short Answer: Being Yoked is being submitted to His Authority in our lives and following Him unconditionally. As we grow in that, we are made strong in Him and with a faithful, obedient and diligent heart, our privilege is life abundant and liberty unsurpassed!


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