The Tired Christian
Most of the Christians I meet are tired. They don’t have the passion for God they once had, and they feel guilty about it. The sequence is always the same: countless seasons of (1) renewed expectation, (2) energetic pursuit, (3) encroaching disappointment, and finally, (4) exhaustion.
They have tried serving the Lord, seeking a fuller Christian experience through ministry involvement. Exhausted, they pull back for a season and try Bible knowledge instead. They undertake studies of Scripture, quiet time schedules, and books about spiritual disciplines. Again, that lasts for a time—and some good certainly comes from it—yet they feel like the joy they were promised at conversion is still eluding them somehow.
Other seasons of worthy pursuits come and go: worship, helping the poor, evangelism, prayer, etc. In all of this, there is a sincere intent to live as God desires. But these brief periods of success are followed by failure, frustration, and exhaustion. Sound familiar?
The apostle Paul described something very similar in his own life: a desire to do good, but an inability to get it done. He wrote, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Then he indicated why: the “sin that dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (7:17-18).
What Paul was describing is the exhausting Christian life. The victorious Christian life was eluding him, and he admitted it. Paul acknowledged that his Christian life was not working for him. In his case, it was a temporary problem, but sadly, for many followers of Jesus, it’s all they ever experience. I know, because for many years this is the Christian life that I lived. Precept without power. Rules without resources. Laws without life. Initially exhausting and ultimately excruciating, it is the powerless Christian life. It causes many people to slip into what Paul called the “carnal minded life” or the “fleshly Christian life” (see Romans 8:1-10). Forgiven—without a doubt. But failing and falling into a lukewarm mediocrity, believers begin to view the dynamic, Spirit-filled, victorious Christian life that God promised like a carrot on the end of a long stick.
This powerless kind of living is a knife in the heart of Jesus Christ, who not only died for our forgiveness but also rose again that He might live His life through us. Payment for sin is complete; that is a past accomplishment. Someday Christ will rule the earth; that is a future promise. But what about today? Today Christ lives to bring His victorious power to bear upon your character. He wants to life His life through you.
I’m afraid that sometimes the Lord has looked at my Christian experience and thought, “This is it? This is why I rose from the dead? This is the degree to which you are going to draw upon My resurrection power? This is the degree to which you’re going to let Me live My life through you? This is as good as it gets?” It doesn’t have to be that way.
I challenge you right in this moment to come to the turning point that I had to come to: a once-and-for-all decision to be done with the exhausting Christian life! Allow Jesus to live His life through you. That’s what Christian living is all about.
Let's kick this post around with some of your comments/questions... looking forward to connecting with you!
They have tried serving the Lord, seeking a fuller Christian experience through ministry involvement. Exhausted, they pull back for a season and try Bible knowledge instead. They undertake studies of Scripture, quiet time schedules, and books about spiritual disciplines. Again, that lasts for a time—and some good certainly comes from it—yet they feel like the joy they were promised at conversion is still eluding them somehow.
Other seasons of worthy pursuits come and go: worship, helping the poor, evangelism, prayer, etc. In all of this, there is a sincere intent to live as God desires. But these brief periods of success are followed by failure, frustration, and exhaustion. Sound familiar?
The apostle Paul described something very similar in his own life: a desire to do good, but an inability to get it done. He wrote, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Then he indicated why: the “sin that dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (7:17-18).
What Paul was describing is the exhausting Christian life. The victorious Christian life was eluding him, and he admitted it. Paul acknowledged that his Christian life was not working for him. In his case, it was a temporary problem, but sadly, for many followers of Jesus, it’s all they ever experience. I know, because for many years this is the Christian life that I lived. Precept without power. Rules without resources. Laws without life. Initially exhausting and ultimately excruciating, it is the powerless Christian life. It causes many people to slip into what Paul called the “carnal minded life” or the “fleshly Christian life” (see Romans 8:1-10). Forgiven—without a doubt. But failing and falling into a lukewarm mediocrity, believers begin to view the dynamic, Spirit-filled, victorious Christian life that God promised like a carrot on the end of a long stick.
This powerless kind of living is a knife in the heart of Jesus Christ, who not only died for our forgiveness but also rose again that He might live His life through us. Payment for sin is complete; that is a past accomplishment. Someday Christ will rule the earth; that is a future promise. But what about today? Today Christ lives to bring His victorious power to bear upon your character. He wants to life His life through you.
I’m afraid that sometimes the Lord has looked at my Christian experience and thought, “This is it? This is why I rose from the dead? This is the degree to which you are going to draw upon My resurrection power? This is the degree to which you’re going to let Me live My life through you? This is as good as it gets?” It doesn’t have to be that way.
I challenge you right in this moment to come to the turning point that I had to come to: a once-and-for-all decision to be done with the exhausting Christian life! Allow Jesus to live His life through you. That’s what Christian living is all about.
Let's kick this post around with some of your comments/questions... looking forward to connecting with you!
posted by Pastor Brian at
1:47 PM
8 Comments:
I know exatley what you're talking about. I've been in that rut before. You feel like no matter how hard you work, it just doesn't matter to anyone. You start to get the feeling of," Why do I care if nobody else cares." dwell inside you. Then you start feeling resentment and start having a pitty party for yourself. What we as Christians need to realize is that is that is exactly what Satan wants you to feel. He wants you to give up, and feel sorry for yourself.
I also think it's important to admit when you're feeling burned out. It may allow someone with fresh ideas to help you lite your fire again.
Thank you so much for this awesome challenge Pasor Brian! I have been struggling with this exact thing! I feel like I just go through my day to day routine, and life is just passing me by. I am exhausted all the time, feeling like I don't have the energy to be all I need to be, and should be, for Christ. I don't want this to be all that I am. I want to be fruitful and excited about my faith and what Jesus has done for me. . . . I should be excited about it! It's awesome and we have a responsibility to make sure that other's sense this same excitement, that they will want it too. I want to make a difference for the cause of Christ! Satan get behind me in the name of Jesus Christ! I am NOT too tired for Jesus!
Yes, Angie and I both went to Stockbridge Schools, and we both passed our spelling classes!!!!!! :(
You sed it Merri!
I think this is a great time to talk about this subject. Especially now that so many people are vacationing this summer, they're stepping out of the church scene for a while. I didn't realize how bad it was till the fouth of July weekend. We went from 28 pre-schoolers to three! WOW, are we slackers, or what! The attendance has really been fluctuating this summer. I know that when there are less kids the volunteers, including myself, don't get as excited as we do on a normal Sunday attendance. I think we need to try as much as possible to keep our candle lit without burning it at both ends.
You know I too have experienced this roller coaster ride. I thought there was just something wrong with me. So I come to this decision but where do I go from here? I am on the brink of something really great but I can't help but have that nagging feeling in the back of my head that says...what makes this any different than last time. How can I truly commit to the life that Jesus wants me to live?
Sheri
Hey ladies~ I heard rumor that we might be starting a women's bible study in the evening for those of us that work?
Sheri's question is a question we all struggle with. Let's think on this and offer some thoughts/suggestions. The idea of the nagging feeling is something I wonder if Abraham felt when he was asked to leave everything and move in a direction that was foreign to him and only God knew where and how to get there. Having the nagging feeling is one thing, becomign a servant of what that voice is saying is another.
Angie...I understand your comment "Why do I care if NOBODY else cares"
And, again, "...no matter how hard you work, it just doesn't matter to ANYONE."
This is where, I think, most believers run into issues of tiredness and burnout. We remain still enslaved to what OTHER PEOPLE think and do and say. How hard I work, and the fact that I do care, DOES matter to God and
God DOES care. Whether or not OTHER PEOPLE notice what you do or whether or not they choose to care are thought patterns that drain our "joy tank"!! The problem is that we tend to take our eyes off who we are working for...and it's not my board, my elders, my volunteers, etc...
When you are doing WHAT God wants you to be doing, WHERE He wants you to be doing it and HOW He wants you doing it...AND you are only doing it because you LOVE HIM and not for any other reason...then you will find that these other "ego busting" feelings (which are the ones that cause that darned ol' pity party to start with) will fade and evaporate.
I never would have dreamed that I would be where I'm at right now, raising a lot of little ones that aren't mine (cuz I'm older than dirt (-;)...but...I am doing His will, His way, and in His time...and because I love Him. My joyous cup runneth over and when I am exhausted...I am blessed!!!! (-:
I lived an exhausted and burned out Christian life...so it's not like I can't compare the two here...the biggest difference is WHO you keep your eyes on. People...or PAPA (-: It's much better keeping our eyes on PAPA cuz the life just stays on constant battery charge!!!!
Oh yeah, if that battery charge gets weak...check to see if our expectations of people or other peoples expectations of us are standing in the way of Papa's face...
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