I’m Tired

I met up with some students on a Friday night not long ago and asked them how they were doing. Their response, “I’m tired!”

Seriously? Guys, you’re 16 years old and complaining about being tired on a Friday night! Where’s the jolt of a Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, or a RockStar?

I’m kidding! I don’t advocate, condone, or encourage drinking energy drinks! I’m a ‘straight black coffee at all times of the day’ kind of guy!

Here’s what I learned; they weren’t just tired from a long day. It’s been a long week. Long month. Long year.

The world we’re living in seems to never give us any time off. We live in an ever-changing world that seems to always require us to be on our toes. On our “A” game. Tests with no study guides. Auditions for a role we didn’t know existed. Checking our 40 times when we didn’t think anybody had a stopwatch.

As I spent time pondering their little “I’m tired” escapade, I realized I was tired too. Tired from what?

I’m tired of dealing with the same old struggles.
I’m tired of always trying to play it cool.
I’m tired of always trying to hold it together.
I’m tired of hiding my imperfections out of fear of being judged by others.
I’m tired of constantly comparing myself to others.
I’m tired of holding myself to some elusive standard that denies my ever measuring up.
I’m tired of feeling like a failure of unmet expectations.
I’m tired of the mental gymnastics of trying to prove my self-worth.
It’s exhausting actually.

And here’s why I’m tired all the time. Why I can’t catch a break. Can’t catch my breath. I don’t know how to rest!

Don’t misunderstand me. I sleep. Like I’m in bed. Eyes closed. Counting sheep. Dreaming dreams. Whatever. I’m sleeping. But I’m not resting. Like not really resting!

So how do we rest? What does it look like to really rest from all the things that are causing the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational fatigue we’re experiencing?

Reflect on the finished work of Christ.
In all the busyness of our doing, we fail to remember “IT IS DONE!” We use a sliding scale of righteousness to present a list of good deeds to whoever will listen as if we’re trying to earn a spot or measure up. We work extremely hard to make sure that our speech and attitude and actions are acceptable in the eyes of some onlooker. Really, we just need to reflect on this truth; Jesus in our place. He died for the sin of always trying to be good enough.

Repent of the sin of control.
There’s nothing more elusive than the thought of being in control. At just the moment you think you’ve got it all figured out, all the pieces of the puzzle fitted together, everyone moving in the right direction, something happens. Something goes wrong. Different. Not as planned. And control slips through your fingers like sand. You get angry, frustrated, jealous. Whatever the emotion, just welling up inside. And it wearies you to no end. Repent. Literally, turn away from that behavior. That attitude. Move in a different direction. Walking the other way moves you one step closer to rest.

Receive the word of God’s truth.
God’s Word is explicit about the value of rest. The Bible says God rested. Even Jesus said the weary would find rest in Him. The antidote for being wearied by work, stressed by sin, fatigued by futility is grace. Our human nature has a tendency to try to maintain control. We’re not great at RSVP-ing Christ’s invitation to come and rest. But the table of His presence, a table spread with His choice delicacies, is meant to rejuvenate and re-vitalize our worn and weary souls.

Refute the lies of the enemy.
For every moment that we say “YES” to Jesus there is a contending word from the enemy meant to pull us away from this moment of truth. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness. No doubt tired. Tempted by the enemy. And yet Christ’s response was unceasingly a word of truth to refute the lies of the devil. His manna, the nourishing of His very soul, was found in the rebuttal of the enemy’s claims with God’s Word. When the enemy tells you you can’t, you aren’t, you’ll never; remind him that, in Christ, you can, you are, and you will!

Remain in the love of the Father.
God adorns us with a wonderful blanket of hope and peace in the midst of the most wearisome trials of life. When we appear frantic and fraught with fear. When we feel ragged and worn from doing it our own way. When we feel life has shaken us to our core. When we feel lost without hope. When we feel like we can’t go on. God remains faithful! He is gentle and loving! And He invites us to remain steadfast in Him.

Repeat steps 1-5.
Fatigue is not a one time occurrence. Becoming tired can be a repetitious or seasonal trend. But every moment we become tired is another moment to practice these steps. Another chance to reflect, repent, receive, refute, remain.

Remember we are not who others say we are; no more trying to measure up. We’re not who the enemy says we are; no more believing the lies. And even on those days we beat ourselves up, we’re not even who we say we are; no more trying to prove our worth.

We are who Christ says we are. More importantly, God is who He says He is. And He will do what He says He will do in and through us. So, today, rest in His finished work and the name He has placed on you as His child. BELOVED!!!!