Is Your Spirit Exhausted?
Feb 9, 2021 at 6:22 AM
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (Isaiah 40:28, NIV)
Oswald Chambers says that exhaustion means our life’s vitality is depleted. Spiritual exhaustion doesn’t come from sin but from service.
I often feel exhausted. Even though it seems like I’m not involved in any “service,” when I think about it, maintaining my marriage with Yanbing, raising and guiding our kids, my design work, playing piano at church—all these are my service. In these, I often feel my love, passion, spirit, and strength are drained.
Theoretically, since I’m connected to Christ, God’s love, wisdom, and power should be continuously flowing to me. If I’m always filled with God’s power, I should be like a “perpetual motion machine,” knowing no exhaustion.
I have a slightly different view from Chambers. I believe spiritual exhaustion can also come from sin, even when doing “service” work. The reason we can’t be a spiritual “perpetual motion machine” is due to the “friction” of sin. Perhaps sin causes the connection pipe to Christ to loosen, or even detach entirely.
My conclusion, similar to Chambers, is that when I feel exhausted, it prompts me to reflect: What is the original intention, motivation, and source of power for my service? Is it human compassion, human passion, or grounded in Christ’s redemption?
Now, I slightly understand the meaning of “apart from me you can do nothing.”
I always thought there were some small things in life—ordinary things, familiar things—that I could do without Jesus. Like, without Jesus, I could still do design work, eat, walk.
Sure, I can do these things by myself. But without Jesus, these things don’t last. Without Jesus, doing these things makes me feel exhausted. Without Jesus, my thinking in design becomes closed, I lack confidence, I’m not courageous enough (simply put, someone without faith gets “abnormally” worried about others’ feelings, is bound by various distractions, fears the unknown, and is concerned about being overlooked, maintaining face in design plans and discussions…). Without Jesus, I can eat but it doesn’t taste good, no joy. Everything becomes tasteless; without Jesus, I can walk but find no joy, no heart of gratitude. And so on.
When exhausted, the need is to reconnect to the Head, Christ.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 40:29-31, NIV)
Thank God for:
- The chance to connect and share with the TMS team. Thank Noah’s family for encouraging us in the Lord. They need comfort, but they’ve become comforters instead.
- God’s word. Thank the Holy Spirit for keeping and reminding me.
- God guiding our family, helping us adults and kids practice getting along with, loving, and being patient with each other within our small family circle.