Weariness

Life can often feel like a rat race – a never-ending roller coaster of demands and expectations that pull us in different directions. As a counsellor and observer of life, as well as a listener of people’s stories, I am aware that if the devil can’t stop you from becoming a Christ follower, he will do everything in his power to make you an ineffective one – and one of his key tactics is weariness. The biblical meaning of weariness is found in Galatians 6:9, which says that weariness refers to being utterly spiritless, worn out, without courage, exhausted and behaving badly. I do find it interesting to note that this description of weariness ends with poor behaviour. Often, when a person is so weary from it all, they turn to destructive, self-sabotaging behaviour. It’s almost as if they simply don’t care anymore.

The weights that you pick up and the worries that you adopt will lead to weariness, and weariness can often lead to picking up more weight and worries. When a person is feeling powerless, they often turn to behaviour to make them feel powerful. However, often what they turn to they can become enslaved by.

This is why Paul is clear in Galatians when he says that we must not become weary. This is a responsibility that we are called to take ownership of. In other words, we need to take ownership of removing the weights and worries that contribute to weariness.

It’s important to remember that even self-reliance can become a weight that contributes to weariness because it means that you are attempting to do things with your own strength. Put simply, you have the choice between life and death before you, and going down the path of weariness can lead to death. Either you can live a life of self-reliance, doing things in your own strength out of pride and self-sufficiency, or you can live a life under the yoke of Christ, which is light and easy to bear. The choice is yours.

Consider the following questions to help you to identify why you are weary:

What stops you from saying ‘no’, even when you are already weary?
Do you have fears about disappointing people?
Do you trust that God has a redemptive plan for the whole world?
Do you believe that you simply play a part in his plan?
Do you know what your part is in God’s plan?

PRAY

Lord, help me to discern the roots of my weariness. Help me to let go of what is not mine to bear, and to trust in the life that you have designed for me – no more and no less. Thank you that the salvation of this world does not rest on my shoulders, but yours. Help me to tune into the rhythms of your grace. Amen.

This devotional by Madz Deyzel is available at Bible.com.