I’m writing today about being tired. I’ve been trying to put together this post for a while. Two churches that I have connections with have had recent sermons that intertwine with each other and this topic (links at the end). I take that as a Spirit-led sign that this is a topic that myself and others need to hear about.
Are you tired?
Are you exhausted from parenting? From feeling like you’re parenting wrong?
Weary from endless obligations?
Sleepy from not being able to sleep or not having the chance?
Worn out from hard relationships or from still waiting or waiting again to have a good one?
Drained from the tasks of the day and the thoughts in your head?
Tired of waiting on God's timeline?
Tired of prayers for healing not being answered?
Tired of dealing with other people’s bad choices?
My answer would depend on the moment.
It would depend on my goal for the day. Is it one of duty to those around me, getting what I think I’m owed, or one of passion for the loving and serving Jesus calls me to? As I watch some episodes of season two of the show, The Chosen, I can use sanctified imagination to put myself in the shoes of Jesus’ disciples. We’ll all be tired, sometimes more exhausted than other times. But, when the choices you’ve made that have emptied your own physical, emotional, and spiritual tanks continue to have control of your daily life, you’re saying you don’t want Jesus. That you don’t believe in His power to change the situation or your heart. When you’re not “all-in” with Jesus, when you don’t have a personal relationship with this compelling man who can change everything, you will not smell the sweet aroma of a life filled with being tired for the right reasons.
Jesus wants us “all-in” so we can thrive rather than just survive in life. When we give Him our running-on-empty tanks, God has more space to fill, more room to show off His power. I can imagine that when the disciples focused on what Jesus was focusing on, things were different. Their feet may not have felt so weary, their decisions not so hard. The focus shifted from their physical needs and emotional frustrations to what others needed because they realized that they already had, in Jesus, the most important thing in life and others did not.
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Tiredness is often an excuse for me. A reason to not love well. A reason to focus on myself. A reason to ignore the good God has for me. How does one get filled up when exhausted? I feel more refreshed when I shift from focusing on me to focusing on helping others through prayer and kind acts. It can be hard to do this shift. I’ve found it helpful when I have pre-determined that I will do something kind for others whenever I’m feeling crummy. This might be texting a prayer to a friend, dropping off a gift to someone who is having a hard time, or baking something with my kids, pre-Covid we’d give half of it away. When I don’t choose to do something in the midst of the tiredness I get more and more drained by all the things, but when I choose to follow and serve Jesus in the moment, I feel more rejuvenated and refreshed.
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
God sees all the work you put into life, even if others don't see or appreciate what you do.
If my kid was in a race on his training-wheel bike with his favorite ice cream as a reward at the end and he got tired in the middle, I would encourage him to keep going, to remember what was waiting for him at the end. I’d tell him that I would be here the whole time. The race of life is hard, especially with scrapes and bruises, unknown circumstances, and the effects of other people's choices waiting for us at every turn. But what's waiting for us at the end? It's better than any reward we might get during the race. And who is running right beside us who knows every turn and every tumble like the back of His scarred hands but is going to stay with us to the end anyway?
Do you need a break, a rest, a little breathing room from those trials that make you so tired? Do you feel like you need space to “fix” yourself before you do anything else? Or do you really just need more Jesus?
What does "more Jesus" look like? Tiredness seems to be a constant companion because there will always be some obligation or emergency or someone to take care of. What are you prioritizing in the midst of the tiredness? What are your actions saying about your belief of what will fix the problem and help you have energy again? Are you numbing out with food, movies, books, social media, couch-laying, the internet or even just mindlessly completing tasks? These things will certainly make time pass, but for my soul to feel refreshed and have more Jesus, I need to actively pursue God. I’ve found that praying, listening to great sermons, connecting with other Christ-followers, laughing, and doing kind things for others re-ignites my soul fire. God is in all the good things.
What if, instead of saying, “I’m tired” we choose to say, “Jesus, show me more of yourself”? As followers of Jesus, we are completely changed and called to look at things differently than the way the world sees things. What will you do the next time you have even the smallest chance to rest? Try calling on His name. Ask Him for a deeper relationship with Him. Ask Him to show Himself to you in a powerful way. Every moment is important. Don’t miss out.
Lord, give us the energy and motivation to cry out to you and turn to you with our time when we are tired. Show us Your power. Refresh our souls.
Amen.
Here are some resources that have inspired me and this post: