I was recently in the driveway at McDonald’s getting my morning Diet Coke (don’t judge). There was one car ahead of me in the drive-through. When I came up to the second window to grab my drink, I attempted to hand the lady my debit card. She said, “Sir, you have already paid.” I looked confused….”I did??” She said, “Yes, at the first window.”
Here’s the deal: there was only one car in front of me. So between window #1 and window #2, I had already forgotten that I paid for my drink—ha!
I drove off with two thoughts:
- ”Boy, I have a lot on my mind.”
- “I may be a bit tired and should have supersized my caffeine!”
We’ve all been there….weary, worn out, a lot on our minds, or just plain tired. We not only get tired, but sometimes we feel like we are living tired. I don’t even need to provide the proof and statistics concerning stress and tiredness in our culture. Our very lives are the proof.
But listen again to the words of Jesus:
“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)
The word “weariness” that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 11 means to work with toil, both physical and mental alike. Make sure you catch that…it is both physical and mental fatigue. It can also mean exhausting labor (both physically and mentally) until someone is depleted and completely worn out.
I’ve been there, you’ve been there, we’ve all been there—depleted and worn out.
And here’s the deal: weariness is no respecter of persons. Even those of us, like me, who have a Superman complex (believing we can go nonstop without it catching up to us) will hit a wall of weariness from time to time. Isaiah confirms this:
Isaiah 40:3 – Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
Even the youths grow tired and weary.
Even you…
Even me…
All of us…
And before I give you three things to give you hope in the midst of tiredness, allow me to remind you of three warnings concerning weakness.
1) Weariness amplifies your weaknesses.
Tiredness can lead to trouble, plain and simple. We all have weaknesses, and weariness pours gasoline on those weaknesses. One reason is that weariness causes us to lose self-control. Listen to what Proverbs 25:18 says regarding self-control:
“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”
Weariness causes the walls of self-control to come down, leaving us exposed to temptation, attack, and internal imploding.
2) Weariness will direct your way.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
Weariness is a brutal dictator. It can affect the way you think, act, and interact with God, yourself, and others.
How many times have I had to apologize to my wife or kids for the way I spoke to them? A lot more than I want to acknowledge! But often times my apology is followed with, “I am sorry for how I said that, I’m just tired.” (Am I the only one?)
Weariness can direct our ways, and we need to become even more self-aware when our internal fuel gauge is running on empty.
3) Weariness weakens your “why.”
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)
We’ve all heard the importance of embracing a strong “why” in our lives and leadership. Vision is powerful. It breathes life into us. And just as weariness can direct our way, so can vision.
But when we are weary, we often forget our “why?”
I was recently reminded of a quote the Lord gave me years ago: “The fruit is worth the fight.”
That’s true, but if we forget the reason why we are fighting, or, maybe better said, the reason why we are remaining faithful, our “why” is weakened and our potential fruit (payoff) is jeopardized.
Don’t allow weariness to weaken your “why.” Wait upon the Lord and allow Him to renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). And keep the greatest “why” in front of you at all times—faithfulness to the Lord!
Weariness is a battle we all face, but take Jesus’ words to heart today. Go to Him and find rest!
