Wary of Weariness

We naturally tire, especially when working on or striving toward something.  Physical tiredness/fatigue is part of the way our bodies take care of us, provoking us to rest and recover and not cause injury.  Weariness, however, seems to be optional.

What does the Bible have to say about it?  Plenty.  Here are a few verses to help clarify the point:

Galatians 6:9 | 2 Corinthians 4:1; 5:2-4 | Isaiah 40:30-31

Hebrews 12:3 | Jeremiah 31:25 | Isaiah 57:10

Hebrews 10:35-36 | 1 Corinthians 15:58 | 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Just as we find in Scripture many references in which the Lord tells us not to fear, we also find many encouraging us to press on and not grow weary as we seek His outcomes in our lives and in the lives of those we influence.  2 Peter 1:3-9 gives us a bit of instruction and explanation toward the concept, wariness of weariness.

3By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.     5In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.     8The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.     

(New Living Translation)

A few of my notes on the quoted passage:

•   We have all we need to style our lives in accordance with God's will, and it has been provided by God's divine power, through and in the context of relationship with Him (v. 3).
•   We also have promises that grant us the ability to rise above obstacles to that lifestyle (v. 4).
•   We have the responsibility of responding to those empowering promises, and the recipe is in verses 5-7.
•   We find the yield to that recipe:  productivity and usefulness in the knowledge of the Lord (v. 8).
•   We discover the failure to grow makes us unable to perceive properly and absentminded of the grace-walk to which we were called and for which we were cleansed (v. 9).

Tired people rest.

Weary people quit.

Jotting with Johnna

Have you fought weariness and need rest?  How might you meet that need so that you can continue to grow and produce and become the best version of yourself?  What resources might help you?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the rest and resolve it will take to live out the rich life God has for you.  Galatians 6 says that we "reap a harvest" and it will come "at the proper time" when we "don't give up;" so learn to rest, not quit.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.