Words for the Weary

"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish." - Jeremiah 31:25

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Lately, I have found myself feeling exhausted. I am not just physically exhausted, but my brain is tired, I am emotionally spent, and I am not too motivated to get anything done, to be quite honest with you, friend. And I don't think I would be incorrect to assume I am not alone in feeling this way. We are in the eighth (ish) month of a pandemic most thought would be gone by now. We are approaching the holiday season. The leaves have fallen and the trees are bare, but the winter bliss hasn't arrived yet (hello seasonal depression). For those in school, the term is coming to an end and time feels far too short for the workload assigned. There are a lot of things going on around us.

It is okay to acknowledge that all the ways you are being pulled at this moment are a lot to deal with, but let me remind you that you are not alone in them. It is not all up to you. All things can be brought to Jesus- nothing is too big or too small. Jesus is ready to carry it. He says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Our God is a mighty, big God, He's able to shoulder whatever burdens you're carrying. He desires to help, but that also means you humbling yourself to ask for it. (Philippians 4:6-7)

We live in a time of hustle. We are told that unless we are constantly loading ourselves down and feeling overwhelmed, we are not going to be successful and that's just not true. We feel like we have to be everybody's everything, all the time and that's not true; we are not created to carry the weight of the world- Jesus already did. We are not designed to figure it all out on our own. Only God alone knows the way we should go, He is the one watching our way.

"When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me." - Psalm 142:3

These traps could look like seeking things that are pleasurable over what is right because we are pressed for time. This could look like just skipping those Bible readings and church services because it doesn't fit the schedule and we are tired. This could look like not being a friend to the person struggling because you yourself are struggling and that's just not something you have the energy for right now. If you are not careful, this tiredness can turn into discouragement- to both yourself and others. The last thing we want to do when we are tired and pressed is to wait, but we are told that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength and not be weary (Isaiah 40:31). Be joyful in knowing Christ cares for you; demonstrate your love for Him by trusting Him to carry what is making you weary.