Are You Tired?

PROGRAM W-1760

When you’re tired, it’s reflected in your voice, your face, your body language, your attitude—it affects all areas of your life!

First, let me assure you that it’s okay to be tired. Jesus was often tired while he was here on earth. You remember when he went sound to sleep on the boat and a terrible storm didn’t awaken him? He was tired.

Have you ever been tired from traveling? This happens to me often. Even though I’m sitting on airplanes or driving a car—which doesn’t sound like hard work—nonetheless, travel is very exhausting. We read in John 4 that Jesus was tired from a long journey. He understands that kind of tiredness, too

Sometimes having a lot of people around is tiring, isn’t it? As much as I enjoy being with people—speaking and getting to know new people—I find that after a time of being surrounded by people, I’m tired. I think there is abundant evidence that Jesus frequently grew tired and weary from having so many people crowding around him all the time.

He also grew weary from dealing with people who were not always so easy or pleasant to deal with. You can hear the exhaustion in his voice when he says, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” (Matthew 17:17) I think, like us, he was just tired of the hassle that people sometimes brought into his life.

I’m not sure which is the most tiring—physical or mental exhaustion. Regardless, it is certain that as long as we are in these earthbound bodies, we will be tired and weary at times. Jesus was tired in body often, and tired mentally, too—just like you and me.

It’s good to know that Jesus understands our tired bodies and minds because he experienced all of that while he took the form of man here on earth. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and the limitations we face. Just knowing this helps me a lot.

Jesus was tired from bodily exhaustion because he was continually involved in giving his life for others. Giving of yourself to others’ needs is tiring—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Is that why you’re tired today? Have you been doing and giving to others so much that you’re truly tired from it? This is to be expected when we are truly servants of others—as we are called to be.

You remember how exhausted Elijah was after his victorious encounter with Baal, where he performed mighty miracles of God and defeated the enemies? He was so tired, he wanted to die! You should expect to be tired and weary after a spiritual high. Maybe God has been using you in an unusual way, and you’ve seen God’s blessings on your life. Remember after those times to expect to feel tired and weary.

There are many occasions in Scripture where we see the disciples tired. They were so tired sometimes that they fell asleep at inappropriate times. Our physical bodies have limitations, and we must understand and allow that they will be tired.

In spite of all these legitimate reasons for tiredness, we have to determine if we’re tired for the wrong reasons. Have you been trying to be all things to all people lately? That’s exhausting! You can never succeed. Perhaps you’ve taken on jobs God never intended you to take on, and you’re tired from trying to do too much. Maybe you’re trying to do everything to total perfection—perfectionists are usually very tired people, trying to prove something to themselves and to the world by being perfect all the time.

Our culture is in “fast forward” mode. Everything about us is geared for speed, and that is very tiring. You would think that with all our modern conveniences today, life would be easier for us and we’d be less tired. But it isn’t true, is it? Our time saving technology seems to have made us more tired.

A friend from Africa was visiting me and I took her through a drive-up window at my bank. She had never seen that before, and she was really amazed to see how we use those automatic tubes. She said, “You do this to save time, right?”

Yes, of course; my world is full of time-savers. So why don’t I have time on my hands? Why am I always rushed? Why am I tired so often?

When we’re tired because of unrealistic expectations and pressures we put on ourselves, then it’s time to reassess our schedules. I know I need to take a red marker and get rid of a few items on my schedule—maybe you do, too.

It’s easy to get our priorities confused, and that is also very tiring. When you put the cart before the horse, you’ll find yourself in burn-out mode quite easily. You may be tired because you’ve got your priorities confused. Someone has said, “There’s always time to do God’s will.” While I think it’s true that God would never ask of us more than our bodies and minds can do without going into overload and burn-out, when we confuse our priorities, it causes weariness and exhaustion.

Let me say to you again what I so often have to say to myself: God has not called us to be super-people. He is not asking us to do everything and to do it perfectly. When Jesus was here on earth, he refused to do many things asked of him. He knew how to say “No.” Do you? Do I?

There’s one principle which we see throughout Scripture which we need to understand: God has ordained periods of rest for us. He made sure in the law of the Old Testament that the people took one day out of seven for absolute rest. He established the Year of Jubilee, when every seven years the land would be rested for one full year so that it could refresh itself. God knows that we must have periods of rest for bodies and minds that get tired.

How about it? Have you been neglecting those needed rest periods? You may think you don’t have time for them but, the truth is, you can’t afford to neglect them! If you don’t make certain that your body has that one-in-seven days to refresh, you’re going to discover that you’re always tired.

Another thing I notice in Scripture is that we must allow others to help us. In Exodus 17, we see where Moses got tired. He was holding up his hands as the people of Israel fought the Amalekites. As long as he held up his hands, Israel was winning. However, when he lowered his hands, the enemy began to win. Since Moses got tired holding up his hands, we see in verse 12 that Aaron got on one side of Moses and Hur on the other, and they held his arms up for him.

Moses had a job to do for God—but he needed help. He grew tired doing God’s work. I must confess to you that sometimes I have this wrong perception that I can abuse my body and ignore my needed rest as long as I’m doing God’s work. God is teaching me that his principles of needed rest apply—even when we’re involved in ministry for him.

God wasn’t asking Moses to do it all by himself. He sent needed helpers alongside him. Maybe you’re trying to do it all by yourself today and you need to ask for help. Maybe others of you need to volunteer to go alongside someone in ministry and tell them you’ll be glad to hold up their arms.

Two principles about being tired are these: We must have rest periods—one day in seven, and we must share the workload. Many hands make light work. How true it is that when we share the load, it’s so much easier.

I know that when I’m tired, I need encouragement. When someone is tired, that is not the time to offer advice, criticism, or to start making plans for the future. It is a time to simply encourage. So, today I want to give you some encouragement.

First, let me read a poem that really encourages me:

Dear child, God does not say today, “Be strong;”

He knows your strength is spent; He knows how long

The road has been, how weary you have grown,

For He who walked the earthly roads alone,

Each bogging lowland, and each rugged hill,

Can understand, and so He says, “Be still,

And know that I am God.” The hour is late,

And you must rest awhile, and you must wait

Until life’s empty reservoirs fill up

As slow rain fills an empty upturned cup.

Hold up your cup, dear child, for God to fill.

He only asks today that you be still.

Grace Noll Crowell

Are you tired and weary today? Turn your empty cup to God. Admit your weariness—that’s a good place to start. Then start searching your mind, your schedule, and your lifestyle to see if you are causing some of this tiredness unnecessarily. Are you trying to be a super-person? Are you trying to do everything to total perfection? Have you never learned how to say “No”? Do you have some confused priorities which contribute to the problem? Are you always in rush mode? How about those rest periods? Do you make certain that you have times of rest for your body and your mind?

Take a good look at these areas in your life and confess to the Lord anything that needs to be changed. Then turn that empty cup up to him and ask him to fill it for you. Remember, he understands what it’s like to be tired; he’s been there, and he knows how to refresh you.

Nothing can fill that cup like God’s Word, so let me leave you with some priceless treasures from the Bible right straight to your tired and weary body and mind:

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. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)