At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” | Matthew 11:25–30
I am tired. This is the response I often get when I ask people how they are doing. This is also the answer I give when people ask me the same. I have read articles where people critique this answer, viewing this tiredness as everything from a currency we use to justify our work to an unfair plight put on us by a capitalist system. I think that being tired is just a part of life (and the reason God created night and a day of rest!). How we deal with this reality matters; there are a variety of ways that people respond when faced with being exhausted and overwhelmed.
One response to this is to create an identity out of the fatigue; it’s usually called authenticity. ‘I am not ready to adult today. I can’t even…’ There are blog posts about messy homes and movies about bad moms guzzling wine that capitalize on this. At the root of this is a desire to not only make your failures okay, but to convince yourself that this is the goal.
Another response is to live toward overcoming; this is the self-help world. ‘You can do it. The power to get through this is inside of you.’ There is a whole world of quotes and Bible verses over nature photographs to push you beyond your current situation to the place where you are crushing it. At the root of this is a desire to feel like you are good enough, like your life has value and meaning.
Some people respond by managing life; taking control of their schedule. ‘The solution is in saying NO. You need to learn to set proper boundaries.’ There are aps and systems to make help you justify cutting toxic people out of your life. At the root of this is a desire to feel under control and capable.
For some, the response is not so motivating. It is to give up under the burden of responsibility, which takes many forms, from substance abuse to depressed apathy. At the root of this is seeing no solution that is able to bring you out from under the crushing weight.
The proper response (and a needed correction to these incomplete reactions) is found in the gospel. In the gospel we find a standard given to us by God that we don’t measure up to. This failure and the accompanying fatigue are not something for us to overcoming, but a reality of our limitedness to embrace. We are not who we are supposed to be. The solution is not in us. Instead, help comes in the form of Savior, who both models wholeness and then offers it to us as a future glory. We can have hope, even in the face of our own limits and overwhelming odds, because the final goal of this life is not self-fulfillment, but sharing in His victory.
This pushes back against the previously mentioned responses, but it also answers the issue at the root of all of them:
- It gives you a rooted goal, and the mean to be justified by that standard.
- It gives your life value and meaning.
- It takes away the need to be in control, by putting control in the hands of another.
- It offers a living hope.
Christians do not need to find a fulfillment and rest outside of Jesus Christ. He frees us, not from the burdens of humanness, but from the part of our humanity that defines us through our accomplishments. When this is taken away, being overwhelmed is not something we need to fear or fix. It simply is part of what it means to live in a broken world. Since Jesus also suffered under this weight, we can take our weariness to Him. We can pour out or struggles and insecurities and He will fill us with an overwhelming sense of His love and grace.
Instead of applying earthly solutions to deep spiritual problems, humble yourself before God. Rather than going to Him to give you something within your already developed worldview, let Him reshape you in a way that gives you a more complete sense of rest. Be overwhelmed for the sake of His kingdom, and all other things will find their rightful place. Being tired is only a problem if there is nowhere to go for rest.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | Hebrews 4:11–13