“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
There is nothing in our hearts that our Lord Jesus cannot make right. Nothing. He is the One Who makes beauty out of our ashes, comforting all who mourn. Giving us the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit if despair. He is the One Who multiplies our loaves and fishes. The One Who loves us with an everlasting love and Whose all-seeing eye is ever upon us to strengthens us and causes us to stand because He is faithful and able to cause us to stand. Blessed is the one who trusts in Him.
We were made to need God - just as a lamp needs electricity to produce light or a car needs gas to function. Man is incapable in his own power to produce righteousness. He cannot do what only God can do. He cannot change the human heart and give it an entirely different leaning any more than a car can run without fuel. Telling someone to change by pulling from their inner resources is simply a chasing after the wind - at best. No threatening or persuasions can succeed, neither will rules or religiosity or legislation. The work is an inside job and it is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling every true believer in Christ Jesus as we turn our despair over to Him. We can often conform our actions seeking morality but we cannot transform our hearts seeking Christlikeness. It is an inside job and it takes Jesus Christ coming into a life to become a Christian. God changes our hearts - teaching and directing us in the way we should go - bringing Him much glory and us much good.
When Jesus enters a heart, the Holy Spirit makes that heart His home and we are given all the Fruit of the Spirit, empowering us to become more and more like the Master in ever increasing measure. And that is our goal – to be like Jesus, the Firstborn among many brothers. He heals all brokenness, infusing us with the aroma of sweet Jesus.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 (NIV)