// Lynette Hagin

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be Like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." -Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

Have you ever watched circus performers walk a tightrope? Every time I see that act, I am anxiously trusting that the performer will get to the other side. Of course, maintaining balance is the key. If the performer does not maintain balance, he will most certainly fall off. And without a safety net, this could possibly mean his death.

Life is often like walking a tightrope. Our success depends upon whether we maintain proper balance. The two things we must keep in balance are the natural and the spiritual. Both are vitally important to us. My husband penned a saying many years ago: "The natural and the supernatural working together make an explosive force for God."

God created us with three parts—spirit, soul, and body. It is important that we keep a balance in all areas. I have heard it said all of my life, "Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Others are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good."

The two great commands that the Lord gave us illustrate the spiritual and natural very well. We are instructed to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. But on the heels of this command, we are instructed to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:37–39). The one is spiritual; the other is natural. Together they produce a wonderful balance.

In observing our society I have grown very concerned that people, even those who profess to be Christians, have become seriously unbalanced in their lives. When I was a child, Matthew 6:33 was quoted to me often: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (NKJV). I learned very quickly that placing God at the center of my life, listening to His instructions, and regularly attending church was the very foundation upon which I could live a balanced and successful life.

It seems that people today are seeking things more than God. We must place Him first in our lives. However, He also wants us to live a fulfilled natural life. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (Amplified).

God wants you to have an abundant life—spiritually and naturally. He does not want you to live in a tense, uptight, and stressed-out world. Have you ever come home from a day's work and said, "I'm ready to throw in the towel. I'm at the end of my rope," or even worse, "I'm just a bundle of nerves." I am sure that we at times have all been guilty of saying those words.

Jesus has given us a solution to any situation we may encounter. He said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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" (Matt. 11:28–30 NKJV).

The Amplified Bible explains it in even more detail: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne."

A pair of connected oxen is called a yoke. Yokes are made for two, not one. We were not meant to go through life apart from God. His yoke fits well and is lighter than the one we've been pulling by ourselves. So it is important to be connected to Jesus. When you think of two oxen, you usually picture them going forward. We cannot be yoked to Jesus and go our own way. We must follow Him and His direction for our lives.

God wants to share the labor of your daily tasks. Quit trying to navigate through life by yourself. The secret of peace and victory in the Christian life is found in accepting and resting in God's yoke, for His yoke is light.