Tired Exhausted Ministry

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” All around me, I see people who are weary. They are weary with the details of life, all the many odds and ends that have to be cared for in everyday life. I meet Christians who are weary in trying to help people who don’t want to be helped, and are weary of caring for people who wear one down with increasing demands.

There are people in every church who wear down other church people who grow tired of being good and responsible all the time. Go to the Scripture and you will find in Mark 6 that Jesus grew weary and wanted to go to the other side of the lake in a boat simply to get away from the press that people exercised on Him.

Jesus grew tired.

In Isaiah 40:41, it tells us that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  Please note that verse in detail.  It says that those who wait upon the Lord shall mount up like eagles and fly, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Do you note the process here?

We all start off flying like eagles when it comes to doing the work of the Kingdom.  But there is a point at which we slow down a bit, but we are still running like deer, but all of us come to that point where we are just about making it.  We are walking along and hoping that we don’t faint.  But the scripture is clear when it says that if we wait upon the Lord we shall be renewed.

How many of us spend time each day waiting on the Lord?  How many of us take time during the day to go to a quiet place and center down in Jesus, asking Him for nothing, but simply surrendering to His presence?  How many of us, in quietude and in stillness, surrendered to an invasion of the Spirit, which can renew and revitalize to others and to the Kingdom?

It should be noted that the next verse after Isaiah 40:41 tells us that in quietude and in stillness, He will come into us.  Even in our praying there are too many words.  No wonder the scripture says, “Be still.”  There is a place for stillness and quietude wherein we can surrender to a Spirit that is waiting to invade us and vibrate through every nerve and sinew of our being.  “They that wait upon the Lord shall be renewed.”

The Bible says it, and I believe it.

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Tony Campolo

Tony CampoloTony Campolo is the Founder and President of EAPE and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University. Look for Tony in your area and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.View all posts by Tony Campolo →

  • guest

    Amen!

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  • Lawson

    Thank you so much for that. It was just what I needed. So often you feel guilty about feeling weary. Be still and chill.

  • Anonymous

    Very true. But sometimes the answer is to move on.

  • http://www.anewcreation33.wordpress.com Mercedes

    Thank you for this reminder.

    I agree that being still is absolutely paramount in order to be reenergised and encouraged by the Spirit, but we must not forget that we also need to be still in order to discern the will of God. How many in ministry are blinded by their own will because they have failed to be still for long enough, quiet for long enough to hear where God is leading them to next. Periods of inactivity in ministry are quickly regarded by other Christians as perhaps failure, inefectiveness or procrastination. In truth, one has to be humble enough to do everything as onto the Lord and not men, but very few in ministry live that way, or at least that is what I see around me.

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  • ChurchOfChristInLytleOnMain

         Thanks for reminding us that we need to “slow down and smell the roses.” When we’re able to rest in the Lord, He does indeed give us strength to meet all our daily struggles and we’re able to find Jesus’ rest (Matthew 11:28).
         I was a little confused by the references to Mark 6 and Isaiah 40:41. I believe the story you’re trying to relate where Jesus was so tired and wanted to withdraw from the crowds to the other side of the lake is found in Mark 4:35-41, not Mark 6. This story is also related in Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-27. Also the Scripture you quote from Isaiah 40:41 does not exist. It is however found in Isaiah 40:31.
         I’m sure they were just typos, but we should strive to be absolutely correct when quoting or referring to the Holy Scriptures – if for no other reason than someone else may want to look up and read it for themselves.
         Again, thanks for the reminder to slow down and wait on (look for, hope for) God. In our fast paced, electronically charged world, it’s good to have our memories jogged – and in a good way!

    • Frick

      Yeah – his texts are totally off.  Loved the idea…would be better if it was communicated accurately.  Unfortunately, those mistakes cause one to question the validity of the message – which is actually a really good thought!  Where is the verse that is supposed to follow Isaiah 40:31?  That is supposed to…”tells us that in quietude and in stillness, He will come into us?

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