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“my yoke is easy and my burden light.”  Mt.11

There are many gospel passages which we know so well that as soon as we hear the first word or two we think – yes, I know that one.

So we know: come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest opening of this passage.

I need to hear Jesus say that directly to me every day.

But keep reading…

“My yoke is easy” continues Jesus.

Easy?

Not so sure about that.

Isn’t it more commonly thought that Christianity is a tough way to live, adding more requirements to an already difficult existence?

However my experience has taught me that of all the possible ways to live, Christianity is the easiest.

I think of preoccupations with power and wealth, compulsively seeking pleasure as an avoidance of reality, every variation of sin of all these ways to live – relationship with Christ with a desire to live with abundance (not abandon)  – is an easier way to live.

That doesn’t mean that a whole-hearted life with Christ is easy, but it is easiER than any alternative.

And perhaps the idea that Christianity is a tough way to live comes from a misunderstanding of Christian life, seeing it as restrictive rules and regulations rather than life-giving relationship with the Divine, an intimacy in which HE carries the burden of life for us.

Now that’s the way I want to live.

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Take an initiative and send me a date time and place for a FFF cafe-catchups. john@fff.org.nz. I’ll advertise these on each morning’s post throughout Advent.

TODAY Lower Hutt
Wednesday 10 December 10am
Shine Cafe
2 Waterloo Rd, Hutt Central. Catherine

New Plymouth
Wednesday 10 December 10.30am
Stumble Inn
200 Mangorei Road
New Plymouth. Joan

Christchurch
Monday 15 December 10.00am
Moko Bush Inn Centre
Waimairi Road, Christchurch. Trish

New Plymouth
Thursday 18 December 1.30pm
Stumble Inn
200 Mangorei Road
New Plymouth. Joan