Seems there’s one word that defines how so many of us are feeling these days:
Tired.
I sound like a broken record, answering with that one word nearly every time my wife Laura asks me how I’m doing:
“I’m tired, baby.”
My sleep is extremely sporadic; sometimes I’ll sleep six hours, other nights only three to four hours, but I’m not just talking about physical fatigue here. Many of us are tired in every way imaginable: physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual.
I turn 60 years old next April, and am tempted to think it’s a “50’s thing,” but I hear young people saying the same thing:
“I’m tired, man.”
One of the problems is some of us forget to keep an eternal perspective by immersing ourselves in thoughts, songs and Bible verses about Heaven. In the 80s, I heard sermons about Heaven (and Hell) all the time, but it’s almost unheard of these days.
I just became aware of one of the reasons this is so, at least for some: We seek the high and the “feel-good chills” of worship, especially in church, but never grow any deeper in our faith. I attend The Oaks Church in Springfield, MO, and our services always have amazing worship, led by Pastor Billy and Lisa’s daughter, Faith. Sometimes I find myself smiling, even laughing, because the Holy Spirit is meeting me right where I am that day. Other times I just cry and cry as the Lord helps me release pressure, stress and all the baggage accompanying constant pain (although it’s a different kind of pain since my surgery, and honestly, is much better).
But those “Holy Ghost goosebumps”, as they used to call them when I was a kid, only last so long. Even if your church has a Wednesday night service, some weeks it’s a long time between Sunday and Wednesday services. See, without spending time in personal devotion time, with prayer and Bible reading, you’re only filling your emotional tank twice a week. Thus, by the time you get to the end of the week, you’re running on fumes.
If we’re going to find any semblance of lasting peace, we must go deeper in our walk with Christ. Sporadic church services, even if you go every week, are just not enough to allow you to live your life in the full measure of peace the Lord intended.
Now, please don’t misunderstand me: I’m not saying you’ll ever get to a point in life where nothing bothers you. Maybe you will, I don’t know, but in reading the books of Job and Psalms (among many others), I think it’s obvious, even veteran Christians suffer from doubt, fear, anxiety, depression and a host of other spiritually combative emotions.
The difference is, if we walk daily with Jesus, the Holy Spirit has more weapons in His arsenal to fend off those fiery darts the enemy is hurling at you. We have to remember that God’s Word is both an offensive and defensive weapon. What I mean is, we can use the Bible to fend off satanic attacks (defensive), but we can also use it to go on the attack (offensive). Scripture can help you chase away negativity, doubt, fear and all other feelings and thoughts that try to discourage you, sometimes before they even hit!
This rugged path to Heaven is long, winding and treacherous, but millions before us have made it all the way up the mountain (including my sweet Mama, who passed into the arms of Jesus on May 13 of this year), via the rugged, narrow and winding path of faith, and we can, too!
Now, all that being said, I’d love to tell you I pray for two hours a day. I remember one pastor saying he fasted everything, including giving God 10% of his day by spending two hours and forty minutes every day in prayer and Bible reading. I thought, “Well, good for you, bro, but most of us don’t have that kind of time or strength!”
Spending time in prayer and reading Scripture helps us focus on Jesus instead of our problems.
Ok, perhaps you should read that again…s-l-o-w-l-y.
Those are my primary weapons against the darkness, but it’s not all of them. I use whatever positive means I can to fend off depression and discouragement, whether it be a movie, music or a date with Laura.
I encourage you to spend more time with God, not only to grow closer to Him in knowledge and relationship, but to help keep your head out of the murky clouds of this world. I just read today about the son of a famous celebrity who was found dead in a rehab facility at the too-young age of 27. There are also stories circulating about the suicide attempt of a world-renowned, Vegas-headlining comedian. I’m not making any judgments on them at all (how could I? My own suicide attempt came in my early 20s, after contemplating it for years), I’m simply giving you weapons for your battle with sin, darkness and the devil.
In this dark day and age, we have to fill ourselves with as much JESUS as we can. This world will eat us alive if we don’t.
So, with all that in mind, I’d like to give you some of my absolute favorite Bible verses to help repel discouragement, depression, anxiety, fear and despair:
Isaiah 41:10: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand” (NLT).
Psalm 34:17–18: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (NIV).
2 Corinthians 4:8–9: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (NLT).
2 Corinthians 4:16–18: “That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever” (ERV).
Galatians 6:9: “We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up” (ERV).
Psalm 73:26: “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever” (NLT).
Matthew 11:28: “(Jesus said) If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to Me and I will give you rest” (CEV).
Romans 8:18: “During this time now, we have troubles and pain. But I am sure that these troubles are not really very great. One day God will show us all the great things he has prepared for us. That will make the troubles that we have now seem very small” (EASY).
Hebrews 12:1–2: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (NKJV).
Revelation 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (NLT).
Keep your eyes on Jesus…you’ll make it, I promise! You were born to thrive and survive, not wallow in gloom and defeat.
Broken People 