TIRED

Have you ever been really tired? Worn out, too tired to care tired?

As I write this post it is Sunday night and I'm tired. I had a busy day that found me in my study at the church at 5:00 am. I had one more thing to do on a sermon, and then a dozen little clean-up items that needed to be accomplished before worship began. By the time worship began at 8.15 it was already more than three hours into my work day.

Being a pastor and the act of preaching take a lot out of me physically and emotionally. It's always been the case. Even early in the ministry, the most treasured use of a Sunday afternoon was a good nap on the couch watching the football game. At age 58 that need for some rest has grown. Today, however, was a challenge because I ended worship providing spiritual encouragement to someone in distress, went on to a 45-minute meeting of my Finance Commission, stopped at my bank to solve a problem, picked up lunch for my wife and I (she was not well today). By the time I stopped moving at 2:30 pm (9 and a half hours since starting), I was too tired even to nap.

God tell us that we are not meant for relentless activity. We need to work, but we also need to rest. When people are too tired, it becomes too easy to make mistakes and even sin--because we are too tired we often stop listening closely for the quiet voice of God.

Tim Hansel once said, "We are human beings not human doings." Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and weighed down and I will give you rest."

So when you are particularly tired from the demands of living--you need particularly to rest in the Lord.