Are you tired of being tired?

I’m a little weary.

Not physically, but deep down tired of injustice. Headlines that scream of injustice around the world. Injustice that is at my front door.

This weekend I pulled to a stoplight. A car waited in the turn lane next to me. The windows were down. A man and a woman were in the front of the car and they were fighting. I could hear the words — angry, cutting, vicious. He jutted his finger at her. She waved her fists in his face.

Two children slumped in the back seat, about five and ten years old. The boy stared out the window. The little girl rested her chin on her hands.

I can’t describe the expressions on their face, but I knew what was on mine.

Sadness. Frustration.

God, this isn’t fair.

Somewhere at the same moment there are other children riding in a car, and there is laughter. They are cushioned in love, and dad is telling mom a joke. They are on their way to a park, or lunch. They aren’t stressed or worried, or wondering if this is somehow their fault.

The light changed and the car pulled away. I wanted to weep, because there’s little I could do to help those two kids. I realize that I don’t know their whole story, but I recognize the injustice of their situation.

We can get truly weary, right?

There are too many of us walking around who are physically tired. Emotionally fatigued. Spiritually empty. I think it’s important that we talk about that.

I believe the enemy wants to twist our weariness to his advantage. He wrongly believes that he can crush God’s daughters with physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue. That if we get weary enough, we’ll throw up our hands and give up.

Except for this truth:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

We are not powerless. Not by a long shot. All throughout scripture, God continually invites his people into rest.

In the above scripture, Jesus is talking to Pharisees who do and do and do, and who pile up obstacles and rules so high that it’s almost impossible to get over them.

We paint the Pharisees as “all bad” because of a few, but rarely are people all bad or all good. The Pharisees really wanted to be holy. They really wanted to do the right thing. They were missing it by a mile, however, and Jesus invited them into rest.

If they would rest, then they could do good rather than trying to do it on their own (and messing it up in the process).

One version of this scripture says, “I will give you rest for your soul.” That’s deep down rest that infiltrates every part of who we are.

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Like the Pharisees, sometimes we do and do and do, and eventually we rest.

Jesus was inviting them to:

Rest, and then you can do.

Whatever fatigue we may be battling, there is rest for our souls. Rest is not laziness. Rest is not sleeping on the job. It’s not cocooning us from the real tasks or issues in front of us.

 

 

 

There are many things that we can do that are good. However, it’s stronger when it originates from a place of rest.

I think we need to talk about this, don’t you?

We’ll linger on this topic for the entire month.

Some of you are physically tired, and we’ll discuss that because it’s key. Some of you are spiritually tired, and we’ll be honest about the fact that we aren’t supposed to run on empty. We’ll talk about emotional rest, and what that might look like as women who are loved by God.

For today, I hold up my hands in surrender and I’m asking God to help me rest.

Lord, I can’t fix the world, but you care deeply about everyone in it. I hold up my fatigue to you, and ask that you fill me up. One more time, Jesus. Then show me my part to play. Let me do so with joy, and from a place of strength in you. Amen. 

Is that your prayer too?

Suzie

If you need prayer, we are here to pray for you. ♥

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