When I started the Coffeewithkari channel, I wanted to be able to have a space to share my faith and encouraging messages that God impressed on my heart. It’s also a space that I felt it was ok to be real. I am not this person who never has a bad day or is always strong through any hardship. I feel anxious about some things that happen. I have days where I am not as inspired as others. Motivation can be at times in short supply.
I have been increasingly worn down with my job and also being a support to my husband as his job has become more stressful. In short… we are one stressed out, anxious, worn down, burnt out, unmotivated household at this moment!
Is that real enough for you? My mindfulness skills have been tested to the limit for about the past 6 months. My self-awareness has been pinging on the empty fuel gauge for a bit too long! I am wondering how many of you are hovering in this same space. Feeling that if you are asked to do one more thing you’re gonna have a melt down!
I feel it too!
So where does this leave us? I know that the children of God are supposed to feel more full of life than this. If my tank is on empty, I feel like I am a bad Christian. I should be relying more on God and letting Him strengthen me in all these tough situations. If I am continuously worn out, does this make me a “bad Christian”?
I don’t know what the definition of a “bad Christian” might be. If we look at it like a gradient, then I probably can’t go out and commit a bank robberly or a murder and say I am a Christian. These activities are not ones Christ has ever endorsed as examples of how to follow Jesus. It would probably also not be recommended to hit on my neighbors spouse, steal money from my work, or envy someone else whose financial status is much higher than mine. We’re getting into an area here however, where some of us are thinking, “these aren’t that bad… not like the first ones I mentioned.
When I first mentioned that I was burnt out and are Christians supposed to feel this way… how did you all feel? Convicted? I did maybe a little but being stressed out doesn’t make you a bad Christian….it makes you human. I think Jesus was a little stressed out when he was here on earth too. Us humans tend to do that to everyone. We stress out ourselves and others… we’re good at it!!
Is there any way to keep ourselves recharged and out of the danger zone more often? God has a lot to say about how He can be our charging station!
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When I am weak, then I am strong? Weakness is a sign of strength? This doesn’t seem right. When I am all worn down, I am strong? I think this scripture best sums I up –
Isaiah – He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
HE gives power- HE increases strength. When you have nothing left in the tank – HE can give it to you.
I have been reading C.S Lewis – “The Screwtape Letters”. I tried to read this back in high school. For whatever reason, I just could not focus on it at that time. Maybe Wormwood and his buddies were messing with my head!! But really, I just read something that resonated. Screwtape is admonishing his pupil Wormwood and he states, “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out”.
When you are stressed out and burnt out, could it be that we have “allowed” the stress and disconnection from God to seep in? Could Satan be doing his best to keep things out of my head? Like the scriptures above, when I am becoming anxious and worn out?
Satan loves to keep us working so hard that we have no time for connection with God. Satan’s best work is done by keeping God and His peace out of your head. Can we allow this? Or sanity says “NO”!!
This past 2 weeks, I have been really mindful about when my body is telling me to do some things different. If I had too many things on the schedule and life was really getting crazy and my head started hurting, I made the deal with myself, that I would stop driving to pack more into every day and cut some things out. Is Satan working to keep your God connection, your peace out of your thoughts? He absolutely is!! If he can keep God out, then your tank is getting leaner and leaner. I don’t think you can afford this. It’s almost like seeing the low fuel light come on in your car but ignoring it till it starts to blink and then ignoring some more till your all out – On the side of the road with your thumb out.
Encouragement for today – take a few moments to stop and listen, or pause and read some scripture, or listen to an uplifting podcast that you have been avoiding. Maybe get up a few minutes earlier to give you some alone time with God before the house turns into the chaos of kids getting ready for school and us flying off to work. Make those few minutes happen…you might find they completely change your day.