Folded, Mutilated, and Bent Out of Shape
Blog / Produced by The High Calling
A 5’10” man stood onstage next to a 24-inch empty glass cube.
“No way,” I thought, “will that man pack into that cube.” But as if to prove me wrong, the circus entertainer began to methodically kink and fold himself like a sheet moving from dryer to linen closet until his entire frame was inside the two-foot box. And while watching him wedge into the container was hard enough, the final spectacle looked like a contorted corpse stuffed into a sandwich bag.
We must look like this to God, the Creator of the Universe, as we contort ourselves into the pressured fit of careers/jobs, family relationships, and personal and community responsibilities. Before long, life’s twists and stresses squeeze out our joy, contentment, and peace as surely as if we had been flattened by a two-ton steam roller.
To start to extricate ourselves from the box, we must admit that we are not in control . . . we cannot fit . . . we cannot be the ones to “cram” our lives full. As it happens, we do not know best when it comes to our schedules, and that is where we start. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28).
Practically speaking, therefore, how do we avoid human pressures and take on Christ’s yoke? The answer lies in prayer, contemplation, and meditation.
When I feel pressure, for example, instead of speeding up to accomplish more, I slow down. I enter into extended prayer times with God where I acknowledge His great character and attributes, His great acts of the past, and His faithful presence in my life. I choose a phrase from the Psalms and repeat it over and over to myself, shutting out other thoughts and the world. I may close my eyes and say twenty times or more: “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You” (Psalm 31:19). I focus on nothing but the truth. Finally I try to meditate on a few key verses or passages of scripture to let my mind appreciate the applicability of God’s word.
More often than not, when I resign the yoke that I put on my own life and seek the yoke of Christ, my anxiety and depression dissipate. Peace and joy reappear as sweet condiments to the main course of my life.
And while the box is always nearby, the choice is always mine: whether to distort myself into days that produce anxiety or depression, or to settle my heart on God, free from the pressures that I create for myself.
“No way,” I thought, “will that man pack into that cube.” But as if to prove me wrong, the circus entertainer began to methodically kink and fold himself like a sheet moving from dryer to linen closet until his entire frame was inside the two-foot box. And while watching him wedge into the container was hard enough, the final spectacle looked like a contorted corpse stuffed into a sandwich bag.
We must look like this to God, the Creator of the Universe, as we contort ourselves into the pressured fit of careers/jobs, family relationships, and personal and community responsibilities. Before long, life’s twists and stresses squeeze out our joy, contentment, and peace as surely as if we had been flattened by a two-ton steam roller.
To start to extricate ourselves from the box, we must admit that we are not in control . . . we cannot fit . . . we cannot be the ones to “cram” our lives full. As it happens, we do not know best when it comes to our schedules, and that is where we start. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28).
Practically speaking, therefore, how do we avoid human pressures and take on Christ’s yoke? The answer lies in prayer, contemplation, and meditation.
When I feel pressure, for example, instead of speeding up to accomplish more, I slow down. I enter into extended prayer times with God where I acknowledge His great character and attributes, His great acts of the past, and His faithful presence in my life. I choose a phrase from the Psalms and repeat it over and over to myself, shutting out other thoughts and the world. I may close my eyes and say twenty times or more: “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You” (Psalm 31:19). I focus on nothing but the truth. Finally I try to meditate on a few key verses or passages of scripture to let my mind appreciate the applicability of God’s word.
More often than not, when I resign the yoke that I put on my own life and seek the yoke of Christ, my anxiety and depression dissipate. Peace and joy reappear as sweet condiments to the main course of my life.
And while the box is always nearby, the choice is always mine: whether to distort myself into days that produce anxiety or depression, or to settle my heart on God, free from the pressures that I create for myself.
Do you find it challenging to be a Christian in a competitive workplace? Discover how to enjoy a successful career without sacrificing your soul! Encouraging you to hold firm to your faith in win-at-all-costs corporate environments, Tim Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf help you carry your beliefs from church to job, stay true to your values, make God-honoring choices, and more.