Make Fatigue Work For You

Plumb Worn Out

Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

Weary is the soul that has labored

Beyond the labors of the hands.

Weary is the mind that has expanded to greater understanding

So that no one understands.

Weary is the voice that cries

In a wilderness of people

And no one hears.

Weary is the one who knows but struggles

Who knows enough to know that not all can be known

And not all can be certain.

Weary is her mind and body.

Weary are his hands and feet.

That souls longs for respite and fulfillment.

Yet, that soul cannot rest.

The roots of the word, "fatigue" are from Latin as well as French. The meaning has not changed much. To be fatigued is to tire. But originally and in pre-Latin, it carried with it the idea of being driven to the point of breaking down. In health, it implies lethargy and in psychology, the notion of being emotionally drained.

We get weary.

We grow faint.

Our frustration boils and we wonder why we keep on keeping on. Yet, we do not quit. We cannot quit.

"Come unto me ... and rest," our Master calls.

We come.

We wait.

Then, we get back to it.

Fatigue can either kill us off, sideline us, or move us to greater dependency on God's power to work in us and through us.

How do we handle the fatigue? Let's break down the word so that it spells the resources we have to fight it.

• F - Faith. We walk not by sight, but by faith. We walk without guarantees or instant gratification.
• A - Acceptance. The world is what it is and we are what we are, flawed and limited. Not all things will go well or show results within our expected timing.
• T - Tenacity. No matter how hard it is, our commitment moves us forward. Even when we don't feel like speaking, writing, acting, or standing, we do because the cause is greater than we are. 
• I - Inspiration. We seek it daily from the words and the Word we read to the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, and the words of encouragement we gather around our hearts. We must be fed inspiration.
• G- Grace. Grace is the gifting of God in us and God's way of dealing with us. We do the best we can within our limitations and in spite of our failures, and we drink the fresh cooling waters of grace that reminds us that we are beloved and accepted.
• U - "Upwardness." We remind ourselves that we are traveling the "upward way."  We have a higher purpose and a higher calling that is beyond this world this time, and our own identity. We are aligned with the Kingdom of God and a heavenly purpose. We are involved in great work that makes a difference.
• E - Energy - We draw our strength from the Spirit. In that way we do not wear ourselves out. We move at His pace. We find the places of rest.  We refuse to work through tension, guilt, and mere human effort. In trust, we move with the flow of God's energy and make ourselves available for it to flow through us.

We all get weary.

We all need breaks.

But we are all important to a larger purpose. Make fatigue work for you.

 

Encourage yourself!