Send to KindleI’m sure we’ve all been there. There are days when you fight life and all the unpredictable things that it brings. You hit a bump. You dust yourself, clean your wounds and get up the next day ready to fight again. But sometimes there are seasons were every day is a battle, when there are too many wounds and you wake up thinking of giving up. You feel like you don’t have any more strength. Your mind and body tell you, is it worth fighting one more time. You think, maybe if I go with the flow and just allow things to just happen I’ll feel better.
I’ve been there more times than I can count.
In those moments there are a few things that I’ve found to be true and have never failed.
The first and most noticeable is that I need rest. Sometimes taking time away is sufficient, but when you are to this point of emotional and spiritual exhaustion a few snoozes are not going to do it. Your rest needs to come from the Lord. He promises in his Word that he will give us rest in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He also warns us that in those times of trouble we need a peace different that the one the world can give.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Talking about resting in the Lord, the other thing that I notice in my moments of exhaustion is that I have allow myself to take control of my life instead of surrendering that control to the Lord. Matthew 11:30 says, “ My yoke is easy and my burden is light” If I’m exhausted and constantly troubled it means that the yoke I’m trying to pull or push is far from easy and light. The things that I’m trying to do are so many and so hard. Once I give up, but not on my life or my purpose, but in trying to control my life, not only everything seems to get solved, but then I discover that His Grace energizes me to do more than I could have even fathom to do on my own.
The last thing I’ve noticed in those troubled times is that because I feel so drained I have the tendency to isolate myself from others. I do that mainly because I don’t feel the emotional energy to interact with others. However we were not called to be an island. Is in these moments when you need your spiritual support the most. These are the solid people in your life that will pray for you, encourage you and simply see you through the darkest night. Remember the words in Ecclesiastes 4:12 “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
So today I invite you to find yourself some rest.
The Rising Muse 2013
