Joy and peace are the two greatest and foundational emotions a human being can experience. Sadly, we do not see many brothers and sisters demonstrating those kinds of emotions. You can look at their faces and see frustration, anger, depression, etc. It is amazing to me that both emotions of peace and joy are closely attached to ministry. 

In the parable of the talents, we see that those who use their gifts were rewarded by entering the master’s happiness. The Greek word used in Matthew 25:23 is the word, chará; meaning “To rejoice. Joy, rejoicing, gladness.”^[1] In Matthew 11:30 the Bible tells us,

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. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30 (NASB 1995)

The word Rest here is the Greek word, anápausis; “Inward tranquility while one performs necessary labor.”^[2]There is no peace until we engage in this necessary labor. 

The word Yoke is the Greek work zugós meaning “To yoke, to bind. A yoke serving to couple any two things together.”^[3]

The word Burden means load. Jesus stated that his yoke is easy; that is the Greek word, chrēstós; meaning, “To furnish what is needed. Profitable, fit, good for any use.”^[4]

Jesus also describes his burden as light. In Galatians 6:5 the Apostle Paul tells us that “…each one will bearhis own load.” (NASB 1995) We can conclude based on these portions of Scriptures that: 

1. To have peace and joy we must carry our own load: If you are not allowing God to use you, you will always struggle with experiencing peace and joy. 
2. We must yoke ourselves to the Lord: For ministry to be successful it must be linked directly to Jesus. 
3. When that Yoke is from the Lord it is easy; when that yoke comes from man is not: God gives us the grace to do what we are called to do; man can’t do that; we don’t have that kind of power. 
4. We all must have our own burden or load: If you do not have a burden for anything, you do not have a ministry for anything. 
5. We must remember that burden is described as light: If the burden feels heavy; you are not walking in God’s grace, and you will burnout eventually; because it will be you carrying the ministry and not God or, because you will be doing things that you are not called or, not qualify to do. Man will burden us with unnecessary weight such as drama, jealousy, strives, etc. 

^[1] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[2] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[3] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[4] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).