Bee stood in the way of Vern’s food. She sat down and wouldn’t budge. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Vern was under her spell. No matter how many times we placed the food near Vern, he refused to eat. Instead, he scanned the room to note where his female companion could be found and wouldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Vern has grown to be the size of Bee and is stronger than her. So why would he allow this mellow Frenchie to have so much power over him? Before we start calling Vern a coward or calling Bee a bully, we need to turn inward to where we misplace our power.
Jesus knew that we would struggle with placing our feelings onto people that don’t seem to care for us in the way we want. In his day, he was particularly concerned about the people that were trying to please the religious leaders that set unbearable rules and regulations onto the masses. Jesus knew that it was impossible to please this establishment and it hurt him deeply.
In today’s world, we struggle with wanting approval as well. It could be from the church we attend but mostly it is from social media. With technology allowing us to share our lives for everyone to see, we can get caught up in our self-worth being defined by the number of likes we receive.
So what is the answer? Jesus gives it to us in Matthew 11:29. “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.”
Instead of striving to impress others, take on the yoke of Jesus and learn from him. It is where rest for our souls can be found. Give it a try. Instead of reaching for Facebook, pick up your Bible and learn from Jesus.
As for Vern, he finally did eat his breakfast and shook off the shackles of being under Bee’s power. More than likely, it will happen again. But thankfully, we don’t have to live with misplaced power.
