Dealing with Weariness – part 2

So far we have looked at a number of scriptures that talk about weariness. We have looked at how weariness can affect us and how it “grows” and develops. In my last post, we also started to look at how we deal with weariness. If you remember, there were four principles that we took from Scripture. The first one, which we covered last time, was how to wait on the Lord. In this post, we will look at the final three: consider Him, balance and serve.

Consider Him

Hebrews 12:3 (New International Version)
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

When we become weary is easy to become self-absorbed. To think only of our world. To think we’re the only ones affected. We start feel sorry for ourselves. I remember a time when I badly injured my right hand. I managed to put my hand through a table saw, and pretty much destroyed three of my fingers. I spent several days in hospital, had surgery and quite a lot of pain. My wife had just given birth to our second son, and all was not good in life. In hospital, I tried to remain optimistic but when I got home I began to suffer, not just physically but mentally. I couldn’t use my right hand and basic things like getting dressed and making toast were incredibly difficult to do. I couldn’t drive and I couldn’t work that well as I always used computers (typing was a problem). I am usually quite an active and independent guy – and it felt like a lot of this was taken away suddenly from me. I still had a lot of pain and whilst the surgeons with God’s help to the great job on repairing my fingers they still had to remove part of my right index finger (something that I found very hard to accept).

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Dealing with Weariness – part 1

How do you prevent yourself from becoming weary? Whilst I appreciate that each circumstance is different and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, there are some principles in Scripture that we can apply that we definitely help us, we will look at these in turn:

1. Wait on the Lord (we look at this in this post)
2. Consider Him
3. Balance
4. Serve

Wait on the Lord

Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Notice here that the Bible tells us that even youths get weary, so us slightly older folk have no chance of avoiding this.

So God has promised strength for weariness, His strength for our weariness – it’s not a bad swap, is it? How do we get to this place of exchange? By waiting on the Lord.

There is no earth shattering revelation here and the solution is deceptively simple. For me, weariness happens when I have not connected with God for a while and entered that place of exchange where He gives me strength for my weariness, righteousness for my sin, grace for my works, health for my sickness and riches for my poverty. I have to wait on the Lord – not passively, but by building my hope and my trust.

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Growing weary

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Gal 6:9

Every felt weary, or exhausted, or just fatigued? Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually? Close to burn out? I would imagine that many of us have as it is now something that is very common.

The church that I go to is in a season of unprecedented change. Some of us are feeling weary. With the new “cluster” groups it is easy to adopt a wait-and-see approach as we are all a little weary with having done cell for so long (myself included). I had adopted the “I’ll wait-and-see what happens before getting involved” ideology with good reasons – have run primary cell for a while so did two cells a week. On top of that I run my own company and there has been a recession to contend with. I am on trustees and also volunteer with the British Red Cross. Not to mention my family. I was out most nights doing something and I feel weary. It is not unreasonable to want to step back and take some time out when there is an opportunity to do so. I need it. My family needs it.

I believe that taking a break can be good. We all need a sabbatical every now and then to stay sharp. It could be from church (or doing church things), work – things that cause us stress and weariness.

But this was an emotional response from me (even with good reasons). It wasn’t the right response though as I discovered recently when I did a quick study on what the bible has to say about weariness.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Gal 6:9

This, to me is a well known Scripture. I often quote it to people in a “don’t give up” situation. Keep going. Don’t lose heart. Dig your heals in. Let that fight that is within you come out. Your season is coming. Your harvest is on the way. The seed you have sown will bear fruit, just stay with it.

It’s a great verse for that. This time though, I looked at the word weary: let us not grow weary while doing good. This tells me a number of things about weary:

1. You grow weary.
2. Weariness is something you let happen to you.
3. The real danger is that doing good things can make you weary.

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