“Fitness Guide for the Weary Soul”
As summer vacations go… this vacation was nothing glamorous. It didn’t have the ZING of Disney World. It didn’t have the WOW of the Grand Canyon. But it was a trip that important to make. After several years away, the young family was going back “home” to the family farm. They didn’t stay in the Radison… they didn’t stay at the Ritz… the stayed with Uncle Bob and Aunt Beatrice in a small town with only a convenience store that closed at 5 pm.
Well, the day they had planned to go back to the farm where the husband had grown up, the little four year old boy wasn’t feeling the best, and it was decided that he should stay back with the Aunt so the rest of the family would not miss this rare opportunity to go back “home.”
Well… it may not surprise you what happened as soon as they left… a four year old… in a strange place… with strange people… not feeling well... saw his family drive away… and it was GO TIME! He began to scream MAMA! He then went on to cry for hours, and hours, sobbing for all he was worth… barely stopping to breath and catch his breath.
It was so bad, that when they came back several hours later, it took forever to get him calmed down. As they sat at the dinner table, the little boy still had a quivering little lip and still breathed heavy.
Until finally, the little boy spoke up, the first words he’s spoken since they’d left that morning.
Have you ever been pooped? Have you ever been plain worn out? Weary to the bone? Do you know what poop means? We have had a few rough months… and I don’t know about you… but I’m pooped. My soul… is weary. So what do we do as Christians... when we are maxed out? What can we do to rejuvenate a weary soul? I present to you “Fit Club 101 for the Weary Soul!”
Pray hard!
Nike… one of the top athletic shoe companies… has a lot of advertisements that encourage us to keep in good shape. One of their slogans really impressed me. It took the entire idea of “WORKING” out… and turned it into… “Play Hard!”
Well brothers and sisters… just like we need to “Play Hard!” to stay in good shape physically… we need to “Pray Hard!” to stay in good shape spiritually.
Whenever I find myself feeling distant from God, when I find that my spiritual life is drying up… I usually can also find that I’ve been neglecting my prayers, that I haven’t been talking to the one person I need to stay in contact with the most. If I was praying… it was short little prayers for meals and before beds. Like little text messages to Jesus
There have been times, where I’ve been in a place where I’ve dedicated hours to non stop prayer, where as a Pastor… I’ve been with a family… and I pray my butt off. I’m talking non-stop prayer. And in that moment, I could see God present in the room, shedding light where it is needed.
So, when we are feeling distant from God… when our souls are feeling weary from our labors… my first point is “Pray Hard!” and you will be shocked at how much it will help.
Lift Weights!
My second point… as any dietician or personal trainer will tell you… if you are looking to get back into shape… lift weights.
Now, in this book are words that will challenge us… words that will be hard to read… but there are also words of great comfort… “chicken soup for the soul” as they like to say. When we are at the end of our spiritual rope… it is time to grab a lifeline… and this is where you can find it. If you look up the word HELP in the bible… you will find it over 150 times. Half of them are people crying out for help… the other half tell us exactly where our help comes from… our help is in the name of the Lord.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
With these words, Jesus reminds us that we do not have to walk this journey alone. I love the way it is put in verse 29. Do you know what happens when you yoke a big strong bull and a little calf to a big heavy load? The bull takes the most of the work. That is what Jesus is telling us… share the lord with him and he will take the brunt of the load… his yoke is easy… his burden is light… because in times of trial… in times where we are spent… in times where we are weary… the most important thing we can do is my point number three… Give it up!
Give it up!
Far too often, we try to do things ourselves. We don’t want to ask for help. We don’t want hand outs. We want to do it ourselves, dig ourselves out of the big hole we find ourselves in. We want to cry alone… be alone. But brothers and sisters… that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Like the little boy in our story… all of us are crying out. Like the little boy in our story… sometimes all we need, is our parent. A four year old needs his momma. We need our Father in heaven.
Psalm 63:1
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9
When we are physically tired, you know what they recommend the most? Exercise! Sounds odd but it works. So… guess what it is we need when we are spiritually tired? You got it… pray hard, lift weights, and get yourself a physical trainer that can lift more than you. In time, even though strife and conflict will still be here… we will be stronger and rested, because we are being carried by our Father.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
