Shaking off the Weariness of Life
Intro: What causes weariness? A simple answer might be too much work and not enough rest. But we know it’s not that simple. What else just wears us out? Stress causes weariness. Parenting. Caregiving. Sickness. Grief and depression. Failure. Unrealistic expectations. Broken relationships. Rejection. Abuse. Even anger and unforgiveness can take an emotional toll on us. Just going through hard times in general can drain our energy and leave us weary.
-Along with different causes of weariness, there are different kinds of weariness. Sometimes we are physically exhausted for various reasons. A person can sometimes be mentally exhausted. How about feeling emotionally spent? You might even say that people can get spiritually weary. I’m sure these overlap and tie together and when you feel weary it is possibly a combination of 1 or more of these. All we know is that sometimes we feel like we’re running on fumes- barely surviving, just getting by. And sometimes we find that we just don’t have the energy to care, let alone do the right thing!
-Is there something we can do about weariness? Can we fix it? Well, probably not by ourselves. Jesus told us that rest was within reach of the ordinary person.
-Actually the idea of rest first showed up on the 7th day of creation. God Himself rested on the 7th day, and Moses later used this as 1 of the reasons His people Israel were told to rest on the 7th day. He also told them that b/c they had no rest when they were slaves in Egypt, God wanted to give them rest now. Even today the Sabbath is observed by Jews all over the world. BTW, this is not the point of my message, but I believe that God gave us a healthy pattern to rest 1 out of 7 days. The word Sabbath means to cease, to stop. It is healthy to stop each week and rest and enjoy the life God gave us, trusting Him for whatever productivity we might think we are missing out on by not working.
-Here’s some free advice for shaking off weariness:
Get healthy!
Get enough sleep! A simple thing like a lack of sleep can affect your spiritual resolve.
Reduce the stress in your life. Too busy? Maybe you need to let go of something.
-Now, what about the spiritual side of things?
-There is rest for the weary! There is strength for the weak. There is encouragement for the downhearted. God did not design us to drag through life, barely getting by. He wants us to be healthy and alive and filled with His life!
-Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about shaking off the weariness that weighs down our spirits and steals our joy and vitality.
1. Get rid of condemnation
Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
-How? Get in to Jesus! Those who are in Christ have been forgiven and set free from the bondage of sin.
-John also talks about when our own hearts condemn us. God is greater and can help us overcome condemnation from ourselves and others.
1 John 3:17-22 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
2. Get rid of offenses
Matthew 6:14-15 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
3. Get close to Jesus
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."
4. Pray
James 5:13-16 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
5. Trust in the Lord
Isaiah 40:28-31 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
