Weary
If it helps, this is kicking my rear, too.
I’ve been through some difficult seasons before, but this one has been especially tough to navigate. I have had quite a few conversations with leaders and team members this week, and the one word that kept coming up was simply, “weary”. Weary of the virus. Weary of the masks. Weary of the uncertainty. Weary of the media. Weary of the stress. Just, weary.
Many of us have been running in 4th and 5th gear consistently since mid-March. We are going to need to find the time, somehow, to rest and recharge the batteries. I have woken up a few mornings recently feeling like I was starting the day with 10% of my battery charged. Have you ever thought you had your phone plugged in overnight, only to wake up and realize that it wasn’t. It makes it through until about 9:30am and then it’s useless. I’ve been there a few times personally recently.
Those closest to me know that I am naturally good at a few things, but one of them is not resting or being still. I like to get things done. On the Enneagram, I’m a 3 (Achiever). Which is great for many of us, but it also means that under long-term stress, things tend to build up to a point where we are forced to stop, either due to physical, emotional, or mental health reasons. I tend to try to do more and more, instead of allowing myself moments to recharge from time to time.
It’s interesting to me that we take something as concrete as the need for rest, and make it negotiable. When you look at Scripture, rest is foundational. God Himself rests on the 7th day and encourages us to do likewise. Jesus was constantly peeling off by Himself to spend time in solitude.
Jesus addressed His disciples and those that were following Him to come to Him for rest, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." — Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT). Jesus is speaking to the very core of our hearts here. We long for rest. We know that the way we are living life is not sustainable. But in order to find true rest, we are called to come to Jesus. To lay down the burdens, workload, stress, fears, anxieties, etc. - and find rest in Him. To abide in Him. In His faithfulness. In His sovereignty. In His grace.
Here are a few other Scriptures that speak to those that are weary:
Isaiah 40:30-31 (NIV) | “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.”
Psalm 4:8 (NLT) | “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.”
Jeremiah 31:25 (NASB) | “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
“Crashing is not resting; it is actually just crashing. Crashes cause pain, create drama, and cost money.”
So what happens when we don’t intentionally schedule time to downshift in order to rest and recharge? Well, we often crash, burnout, or sometimes end up in the ditch. We attempt to “cope” in some unhealthy ways, sometimes turning to alcohol, substances, pornography, inappropriate relationships, etc. to try to ease the stress or build up. These coping mechanisms may seem helpful, but they put us on a path that more often than not, leads to harm. We have to find healthy ways to recharge and to deal with the real stress and weariness we are experiencing. So how do we do that?
Recharging differences between Introverts and Extroverts
Rest and recharging doesn’t happen in the same way for everyone. Steve Cochram writes, “Introverts recharge internally, like a battery pack. They need to plug into an energy source directly and recharge on their own from within. Extroverts, on the other hand, are like solar panels: their recharge happens from external power sources, like ideas or people or experiences.” Let’s start with how an introvert might recharge.
BATTERY PACK-TYPE RECHARGE SOURCES FOR INTROVERTS:
Meditation - This normally becomes a place for peace.
Devotions - Introverts are normally more disciplined with their personal time.
Sleeping - Introverts usually need a bit more sleep than extroverts.
Reading - Like novels or biographies.
Exercise - Long runs or walks alone.
Time to yourself - Pursue hobbies, like art, gardening, cooking, woodworking, and so on.
“Like thumbprints, we are all unique in our personality hard wiring, and that means that we all recharge differently. The problem is that most of the articles on rest or recharging are generic, and when people try to apply the one-size-fits-all idea, there’s no improvement.”
SOLAR POWERED-TYPE RECHARGES FOR EXTROVERTS:
Time with a mentor - Extroverts need to talk out loud to hear their ideas with someone they trust.
Ideas - Some extroverts are enamored with ideas, which can bring life to them.
Sleep - Extroverts need sleep as well, usually less than introverts.
Speaking - Some extroverts thrive when they speak or share.
Reading - Books that bring inspiration and are highly applicable.
Exercise - Extroverts tend to like class-type exercise with a group of people rather than the isolated experiences of running by themselves.
Some of you will realize that there are some of each list that you can relate to. We are all wired up differently. I encourage you to go through that list and pull out the things that allow you to recharge and make time this weekend. You won't regret it.
Start small. Just pick one that you will do today. I encourage you to pray about it. Something as simple as this prayer:
“God, what I know to be true is that You desire that I would find rest in You. Would You help me rest and be able to recharge? Help me to rely on You today, when I put work and relationships down and spend a moment or two to recharge. I ask that You would abundantly multiply my rest, and that it would bring glory to You.”
Take time to rest this weekend. Sit on the front porch and watch the incredible sunrises and sunsets we’re supposed to have from the Godzilla Dust Storm (or whatever they are calling it). Take one of the Scriptures I mentioned earlier and just meditate on that one thought for 5 minutes. Go for a walk alone or with someone. Be still for a minute and just take a breath. Turn off Netflix at 10p and get some sleep.
You’ve got important work to do next week. Let’s collectively come back with some charged up batteries, ready to take on whatever we have to face. As our weariness turns to rest and recharge, we’ll give God the glory as we seek to be good stewards of the health, strength and clarity that He desires to give us as we rest in Him.
“Rest time is not wasted time. It is economy to gather fresh strength...It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”