Are you tired? Not just sleepy…but really tired. Is your mind, body, or soul feeling famished?
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding myself in a season of exhaustion.
It’s not because I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old who’ve both been sick lately and not sleeping well (actually, that might be part of why I’m tired physically…but it’s not the main cause of my overall problem).
It’s not because I have too much going on, too many irons in the fire, getting pulled in a lot of different directions (although that definitely leads to mental and spiritual fatigue).
It’s not because of the myriad of challenging and heartbreaking things going on in this world.
It’s because when things get busy and time & energy start running short, we start cutting the very things that would breathe life into our situation.
So what are we to do?
Follow Jesus’ lead.
If anyone had a reason to be exhausted mentally, physically, and spiritually, it was Jesus.
It’s easy to gloss over the fact that Jesus was a man. We focus on all the miracles he did and things he said, but often miss the short little scriptures about one of the most profound aspects of his success during his 3 year ministry: He constantly slipped away and spent time with the Father.
He knew he needed solitude and time away from the crowds and the demands placed on him in order to live out his purpose.
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)
You’ll find this theme all throughout the gospels. Sometimes overtly, like the scripture above, and sometimes it’s so subtle that you won’t even give it a thought…unless you’re looking for it!
In one interesting example (John 7:1-10), he was in Galilee and sent on his brothers ahead of him to Judea. Then in verse 10, he ends up going by himself.
I read somewhere that it was a 90 mile trip, and would have taken 5 or 6 days to walk. You can bet during that hike he prayed and spent time with the Father!
If Jesus, the Son of God, had to constantly withdraw and get refilled, how much more do we need to do the same?!
If you find yourself feeling tired in your mind, body, or soul (or all 3), follow Jesus’ example and start slipping away throughout the day and spend some time with God.
It’ll look different for everyone depending on the season of life you’re in, but don’t use busyness as an excuse. We’re all busy, and the busier we are, the more we need this.
You can’t effectively minister to others if you’re running on empty.
You have to stay full of Him and spill onto others out of the overflow. That’s what Jesus did. Any other way will lead to exhaustion and burnout.
Throughout the day, pull yourself out of your normal environment, even if it’s just for 5 minutes.
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- Go for a walk around the block (even if you have to carry a baby with you).
- Go do some stairs.
- Sneak in some sun salutations or sit in child’s pose.
- Lock yourself in a closet!
- Go sit in your car.
- Get up 15 minutes early and start your day off right. Fill up before the demands of the day start making their withdrawals.
What are some of your favorite ways to withdraw and spend time with God?