Why do we grow weary? Sometimes we become weary because there are burdens in life that are just plain hard. Deep grief, a long-term illness, the stress of extended financial distress and loss—these things can hold us captive and are sufferings from which we cannot easily escape.
Yet sometimes I wonder if the reason we grow weary is because God designed us to need refreshment. He made our bodies so that they need sleep in order to function and “our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) to sustain life.
The cycle of work and rejuvenation seems to be built into us as surely as “there was evening, and there was morning” (Genesis 1:8). We are commanded to rest “even during the plowing season and harvest” (Exodus 34:21), because we are to follow the example of our Creator—and because it is what our bodies need.
And yet even when we align our lives with the cycle that the Father laid out for us, even when we are eating regularly and healthily, even when we are getting enough exercise, there are times when weariness worms its way into our souls. Galatians 6:9 admonishes: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Start each day with encouragement for your soul. Order Mornings with Jesus 2019
Five Steps to Boost Your Spirit
Staying focused on our faith and on what God asks us to do is the best way to keep energized.
1. Don’t do unnecessary things.
Focus your heart on doing what God puts right in front of you today before you pay attention to anything else on your to-do list. His work doesn’t have to be outwardly grand or glorious; it may be something very simple (and easy to overlook). “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
2. Stay connected.
We are made for companionship and community, and living in isolation is tiring to the soul. If no one is reaching out to you, take the initiative and reach out to others! For “whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).
3. Confess your sins regularly.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19). If God can be worn down by our trespasses, so can we! Carrying around a guilt-laden soul is sure to weary us.
4. Seek revitalization instead of numbness.
When we’re tired, the easiest course of action is often to do something mindless. But it is the Lord who “refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). Turning to Him works far better than turning on the television.
5. Know what brings you joy.
When we are weary, we often cannot even remember what lifts our hearts. Keep a list of your blessings handy, to help you re-focus on what really matters.
Weariness and the need for refreshment is built into our very bodies. It prompts us to turn daily to God, from whom all goodness flows and on whom we rely for help. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). What an energizing promise!
