While growing up, I spent several summers on my grandparents’ farms. I have poignant memories that include riding in the combine with my namesake grandfather and my dad. I remember it being an adventure to ride in the combine.

Humans have always sought to make work easier and more efficient. The combine did that on a large scale. Even before the advent of modern farming equipment, we relied on animals to perform the work more effectively and we invented the tools to assist with such. For example, to cultivate a field or pull a wagon, animals were commonly harnessed together with a device called a yoke to carry out the task.

The yoke served as a tool for animals to pull together, leveraging their combined strength and preventing undue strain on a single animal. Further, each side of the yoke was custom-fitted, allowing animals of different sizes or strengths to work together without one animal being overburdened. As a result, animals working together–whether oxen, horses, or mules–could accomplish more than double the work of a single animal while not burning out.

In Matthew 11, Christ invites us to join in being yoked with Him:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

We all have the figurative fields of life to plow. It may be the work of repentance in our own lives, it may be education, it may be working through a trial, it may repairing a relationship, it may be laboring in a calling. Whatever field we are in at any time in our lives, that field needs to be plowed.

And…we can either plow it by ourselves or plow it with a partner.

We don’t have to plow alone.

Choosing to plow with Christ—taking His yoke upon us—will help us get all of our fields plowed to their ideal state.

Yoking with Christ will keep us from burning out.

Yoking with Christ will help us preserve our strength.

Yoking with Him gives us rest.

That “rest” doesn’t mean we don’t work anymore—just like an ox doesn’t stop working when it is yoked with another ox! But it does mean that we get enough rest by not having to do it all on our own, which otherwise can be exhausting. This is the type of rest where we are empowered and enabled to continue on plowing all of our fields.

Sometimes I look at all of the ‘fields’ I have to plow and I get discouraged or overwhelmed.

I often feel of unequal size and strength to carry my burdens alone.

Most of us give so much of ourselves. Many of us try to do it all on our own.

We cannot, and should not, try to do this without Him. It is His work to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life after all (see Moses 1:39).

Why would we not want his help as we work toward the same goal?

We all have fields to plow. All day. Every day.

We just need to yoke with Him and go to work, plowing as hard as we can; His strength will make up all the difference that is needed to get the work of the day done.

We are stronger with His yoke upon us.

^{Lead photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash}