Living a Balanced LifeSample

Refueling for Renewed Service

Fatigue can make a “nag” of anyone! Nothing goes further to make a woman less able to cope with unruly children, household or job crises, and thousands of other mundane irritations. Scripture offers ways for women to reduce fatigue and avoid weariness.

• Support from an understanding husband or close friend helps you handle pressure and stress more effectively. Knowing that someone not only knows about the burden but comes alongside to help you bear up under the load (Isaiah 50:4; Galatians 6:2) makes every crisis more tolerable.
• Women are refreshed and invigorated by being able to walk away from burdens even for a few hours. Such time for yourself can provide renewal of energies and revival of spirit and can produce creativity and re-create productivity (Ecclesiastes 5:18).
• Women need to guard against over-commitment. Even good and godly pursuits must be against the purposes of God (Hebrews 12:1). You must learn to say “no,” determine to slow your frantic pace, resist the temptation to add more and more to your schedule. Busyness is not necessarily godliness. Perhaps your “R and R” should become Reprioritizing responsibilities (Matthew 6:33) and Rethinking free time (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8).

Being tired is a physical affliction. Being weary, on the other hand, is a spiritual attitude that results in part from blaming God for your own sinfulness. Life will never free you from fatigue, but fatigue can bring you to the point of setting aside the mundane cares of the world in order to open your heart and soul to the Lord (Ecclesiastes 12:12).

God can use fatigue:

• to cause you to look to Him for satisfaction (Isaiah 28:12, 13),
• to administer correction (Hebrews 12:5) as He pulls back His hand of strength to force your body to slow down for refueling, and
• to prepare you for a greater challenge (Jeremiah 12:5).

God has promised to satisfy fully the weary soul and replenish faithfully the sorrowful heart (Jeremiah 31:25). Sometimes that means, “He makes me to lie down” (Psalm 23:2). Physical frailties may cause you to miss earthly fun and fellowship, but spiritual resources will enable you to grow stronger on the bed of affliction.