Resolving Your Spiritual Fatigue

Resolving Your Spiritual Fatigue

Selected Passages

August 18, 2002

Introduction

I read about a woman who telephoned a friend and asked how she was feeling, "Terrible," came the reply over the wire, "my head’s splitting and my back and legs are killing me. The house is a mess, and the kids are simply driving me crazy." Very sympathetically the caller said, "Listen, go and lie down, I’ll come over right away and cook lunch for you, clean up the house, and take care of the children while you get some rest. By the way, how is Sam?"

"Sam?" the complaining housewife gasped. "I have no husband named Sam."

"My heavens," exclaimed the first woman, "I must have dialed the wrong number."

There was a long pause. "Are you still coming over?" the harried mother asked hopefully.

There are times that we all feel like we are tired and worn out. We take some time to rest or sleep and that helps to refresh us and restore our strength. What do we do when we are spiritually tired and worn out? What do we do when the fire of our faith is all but burn out?

Body

I. Admit your position

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The fact is that we are weak

The definition of weakness: lacking strength, not able to function properly

This is an adequate description of the human condition because we are indeed lacking in strength and it causes us to live below our abilities.

The problem is we won’t admit it

Paul rejoiced in the things that made him weak because these situations became opportunities for Christ’s strength to flow through him

When we are weak and allow God to fill us with His power we become stronger than we ever could be on our own. The first step to finding God’s strength is to admit that you are in need of God’s strength.

II. Accept Christ’s partnership

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

The partnership of Christ

The yoke was used to connect a team of two oxen to a plow or a cart. The connection was essential to get work accomplished.

A yoke was a team of oxen and the burden of the work or the load was shared. It would be far easier for two to complete the work than just one. So, if we are to take on God’s yoke are we in it alone? No! He gives us a partner to share in the work and to help bear the load. Who is it? Jesus is our partner.

Christ is calling for you to accept His partnership in your life. Allow Him to help you bear your burdens and carry the load.

III. Acquire God’s Power

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 40:31

A. God places one requirement for strength

1. We must hope in Him

God is our greatest hope in this life because He alone is the author and creator of hope. It is in Him that we find meaning and purpose in life. We find the courage to live from Him

2. The nature of this hope

Depending on what translation of the Bible you have the verse states in different ways.

The King James Version uses the term “wait” in this verse. The meaning is essentially that we are to wait on God and the implication is that we trust God to be faithful

The New International Version uses the term “hope” in this same verse. The meaning is essentially that God gives us hope and the implication is that we rely on God to be faithful

Either way the implications are the same. God always has been and always will be faithful. God can be trusted and we can depend on Him

B. God makes a fantastic exchange

God will renew your strength

The word renew literally means to exchange and the Hebrew reference was applied to the changing of clothes. The spiritual meaning of this is that God will exchange our weakness for his strength