Posts
“Wired
Tired”
By Susanne
Scheppmann
Key Verse:
Then,
because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a
chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet
place and get some rest." Mark 6:31 (NIV)
Devotion:
Sometimes I wear my exhaustion as a badge of
honor. I feel a tinge of pride, when a friend states, “You look tired.” For
women in the American culture, exhaustion is a valued quality. Even in the
Christian community, we wrongly perceive our tiredness as a “mark of
spirituality.”
I have never been a high-energy gal. My energy
and stamina ebb on the low side. It seems when God created me, he wired me
tired. Scriptures tells me, For you created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13 NIV) God created each of us
with our own energy levels. Mine happens to be low wattage.
However, sometimes envy floats to the surface as
I compare myself to women who bounce around full of exuberant energy completing
every task set before them. Their endless supply of enthusiasm saps my
vitality. I covet their high-energy personalities.
Recently the Lord has revealed a new truth to me.
He showed me even my high-energy friends, work to the point of exhaustion. For most
of us, regardless of our inherent energy levels, we push beyond healthy
boundaries. We immerse ourselves in a flurry of endless activities. The list
can include: soccer, dance, bunko, ministry, lunches, coffees, etc. Unfortunately,
by example we teach our children the same draining lifestyle.
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and
get some rest.” Christ called his disciples to come away and rest with him. The
remarkable part of this passage is the disciples were busy doing wonderful
things for God. Yet, he called them away from good activities to a better
activity for a time; rest.
One of my favorite passages of Scriptures tells
of Jesus taking a nap. “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion (Mark
4:38 NIV).” Can you imagine the Holy Head of our Creator, snoozing on a boat
pillow? I believe that if Christ needed a nap, it indicates that we might need
a nap, too.
Napping as Jesus did enables me to be more like
him in other areas of my life, too. I find when I am well rested I am able to
be more loving and patient with others. I like to think of my naps as a
“spiritual discipline.” They rank right up there with Bible Study and prayer.
So how about you? Were you wired tired? Or
perhaps you are high-energy, but overcommitted? Do you hear Christ calling to
you to come away to rest?
Prayer:
Jesus,
help me to accept that tiredness is not a badge of honor. Help me not to be
compelled to perform at our culture’s standard of activity. Nudge me to rest,
to nap, and to restore myself from busyness. Call me away to rest with you.
Application steps: Review your “to do”
lists. Ask God to show you his priorities for your life and then adjust your
“to do” list accordingly. Allocate a specific time to rest from activity each
day. Allow yourself the luxury of an afternoon nap.
Refection points:
How
often do my friends comment on how tired I look?
Do
I take pride in my exhaustion?
Does
my tiredness please God?
Does
my tiredness keep me from spending time with God?”
Do
I feel guilty when I rest or nap?
Power verses:
Psalm
46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God.” (NIV)
Psalm
62:5, Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. (NIV)
Matthew
11:28, "Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (NIV)
© 2004 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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