“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9
Hey Girls! Let’s face it, we all get weary at one time or another! Life is full of things that make us weary. Weary means you’re tired and exhausted in strength. But, it’s more than just being tired! Weariness implies you’re tired to the point of losing heart. Your endurance is spent! You’re spent & discouraged enough to stop pushing forward. Your patience, your tolerance - even for things that once brought you pleasure - are now exhausting.
I remember the excitement and pleasure of being called ‘Mom’ – yet that same pleasure was short lived when your baby is constantly crying thru the night. Our son, Toby, was colicky until he was 4 months old. The exhaustion, the weariness can set in and cause you to lose heart. Maybe you don’t have a crying baby, but you have a stressful job. Or how about a strained relationship where there’s constant arguing? We can grow weary in well doing even while waiting for God’s promises to unfold in your life. Unmet expectations can take a toll on you and cause you to be discouraged and lose heart.
‘Let My Strength Be Renewed’ was the theme for our women’s breakfast that was last week. It was a good time of fellowship and encouragement in God’s Word. I shared about a present-tense trial in my life. I realized that I had begun traveling down a ‘weary road’ of thinking regarding some health issues I have. I’m aware the enemy is trying to bait me to be discouraged and pressed down with it all…
I consider myself a healthy person! Yet, in the last 18 years, I’ve been diagnosed with many difficult issues. In 2009, as a result of a car accident, I was told I have Fibromyalgia, an Anxiety Disorder, which led to PTSD for over 2 years. That trial went on for years, but I saw the faithfulness of the Lord thru it all. Add Proctitis, Melanoma, removed from my shoulder, and Dupuytren Contracture to the list. 5 years ago, I was told I have Bronchiectasis, a lung condition, where I have a build-up of mucus that only gets worse. At 71 years old, I started my Period again and was wondering if I could get pregnant! LOL! Besides all that, I have a Mycobacterium living in my lungs, that’s been there for years! Last month I was told it’s “not so dormant” which led me to get a CT scan. The bad/good news is they discovered a nodule on my left breast which led to mamos, ultrasounds, biopsies and ‘Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, the earliest form of breast cancer, stage 0, it hasn’t spread.
Needless to say, I am weary and discouraged with more difficult health issues piled on my plate! This is a PRESENT TENSE trial in my life. But I didn’t share this so you’d feel sorry for me, or to gain your sympathy!
My guess is you have things in your life that have caused you to lose heart and be discouraged. I’ve been encouraged by Apostle Paul’s mindset with his health issues + extremely difficult circumstances. He had a thorn in his flesh that tormented him daily. When he asked for it to be removed, God’s response was His grace is sufficient. God’s power was made perfect in weakness. Paul’s response wasn’t to lose heart. Listen to his response…. “I’m glad to boast about my weaknesses, (my lack of strength) so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak (without strength) then I am strong!”How could Paul respond like that? He wanted to experience God’s dynamite strength, so he needed to be weak!
Weakness is God’s greatest platform in your life! The hardships He allows aren’t meant to hinder your life and make you miserable! Sure, seems like it at times! I’d like to give you a different perspective of your weakness, disappointments and struggles of any kind. When you can’t handle it anymore. It’s an invitation… to encounter the grace of God. It’s a reminder of your dependence upon the One who is greater than yourself! When your strength, your endurance has come to the end, that’s a GOOD THING! The end of self - - and the beginning of God’s strength being perfected in you. I can look differently at my Breast Cancer prognosis, and thank Him for protecting me from being self-sufficient and more dependent upon Him.
Maybe you’ve been going thru difficult hard times and are ready to toss in the towel and call it quits. Don’t give up!! Why?You will reap a harvest in due season if you don’t quit. 1). Let your strength be renewed in Lord; Go to the One who doesn’t grow weary nor get tired! Isaiah 40:31, “They that wait on Lord shall renew their strength/mount up wings like eagles.” 2.) Don’t walk alone; Christian community helps us hope in Christ. I SO value my Christian friendships that point me to Jesus! Find ways to connect with others to walk alongside of you to pray, and to encourage you in your faith.
Strengthen by His grace, Karen