I would have said that I believed in Jesus long before I actually did. I believed in Him like I believed in Napoleon. In other words, I didn’t completely reject His existence. But surely there’s more to it than that. Verses like John 3:16 make it clear that how we spend eternity is determined by our faith response to Jesus now. The problem is that faith isn’t something we can see, and so it’s hard to nail down. One of Jesus’ most famous invitations helps to describe believing in more concrete terms.

Come to me, all 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.” – Matthew 11:28-30

1. Do you see your problem and Jesus as the solution to it?

When Jesus calls “all who labor and are heavy laden,” He’s not just singling out blue-collar workers and weightlifters. He’s addressing those who feel weighed down by the expectations of people and the burden of trying to prove themselves. In Jesus’ day, people felt overwhelmed by the rules and obligations placed on them by religious leaders. Pleasing God just seemed impossible. Today, people are more likely to try to prove themselves with grades, promotions, fitness, and romantic partners. The burden can be just as heavy.

Jesus called people to come to Him instead. Instead of living for other people’s expectations and trying to prove ourselves to God or anyone else, we put our trust in a Saviour whose life and death on our behalf made peace between us and God (Romans 5:1). We can rest knowing that we’re fully forgiven, accepted, and loved by God because of Jesus.

If you don’t see your problem, or if you’re just trying to handle it on your own, then you probably don’t believe in Jesus.

2. Is your life submitted to His leadership?

When Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you,” He was talking to people familiar with farming. A yoke was a wooden harness designed to distribute the weight across an oxen’s shoulders. Using a yoke was like the difference between a good quality hiking backpack and a plastic shopping bag. The ease and comfort with which you can carry a load is completely different.

Believing in Jesus involves a personal commitment to follow His leadership. You take on His yoke and follow where He leads. It doesn’t make sense to say that you accept that Jesus is the Son of God and then disregard what He says. An oxen might resist at times or try to pull in a different direction, but if it’s wearing the yoke, the direction of its life will be guided by its master. If your life isn’t submitted to Jesus’ leadership, then you probably don’t believe in Jesus.

3. Are you learning from Him?

Some people say that they believe in Jesus but haven’t learned anything about what He taught since they were children. Or they make assumptions and generalizations about His teachings and fill in the blanks themselves. When Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you,” He quickly followed it up with “and learn from me” to make it clear that we can’t follow someone we’re not learning from. Vague memories of the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount aren’t enough to direct a life with Jesus. When we hear His Word taught, read the Bible for ourselves, and discuss it with others, our thoughts and values are slowly shaped by Jesus’ will for us. If you’re not learning from Jesus, you may not really believe in Jesus.

Jesus’ great promise is that when we do truly believe in Him, we’ll experience His rest. There’s relief when we stop trying to prove ourselves and receive by faith the love and acceptance Jesus freely gives. When we stop using shopping bags to deal with the burdens of life and take Jesus’ yoke on us instead, the weight is lifted, and the relief is real.

If this is new to you and you think it’s something you’d like to explore, I’ve written a free, 12-week course called The Unstuck Life that walks you through the essentials of Jesus’ teachings in daily, bite-sized messages that you can read or watch by video. To learn more, go to gracebc.ca/getunstuck.

In awe of Him,

Paul