Tired, but not weary! 

I worked as an EFY counselor for a summer, and let me tell you: ⁣

There ain’t no tired like Saturday-morning-EFY-counselor tired. ⁣

(Has anyone else experienced this?! )⁣

But it was GOOD tired. ⁣

It was a “man, my body needs to just sleep for 40 hours” tired.

And also a “but I feel like I’m walking on a spiritual high!”⁣

To me, this is one of the most extreme examples I can think of of NOT feeling weary in well-doing.

I was so energized, but also tired.

But not weary. ⁣

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

I think the caution to “not be weary” comes with 2 implications:⁣

1. Do good things and draw our energy from doing those good things⁣

I feel SO much more satisfied at the end of a day when I have reached out in service, done fun things with my family, and spent meaningful time with friends.

That’s where I draw my energy from!⁣

But I also like to stop and realize all the “good” that I already do each day and try feel energized from that, too!⁣

I cleaned up our breakfast oatmeal splatter mess right after it happened instead of waiting for it to dry and get more difficult?! Good things! ⁣

It’s like we get to cheer ourselves on when we catch the good things each day, and then draw our energy from it, no matter if we feel a little tired in the moment. ⁣

But then the other implication of this counsel is:⁣

2. Don’t overcommit so that we move past “good-tired” and into “weary”⁣.

It’s SO easy to overextend ourselves. ⁣

Did volunteering to help with that project seem like a good idea at the time, but now it’s just making you weary? Maybe it’s time to say no for a bit!⁣

Is the ghost of “but this is how they’ve always done it in the past” haunting your calling at church and making you weary?

Maybe it’s time to change traditions. ⁣

To me, “weariness” implies much more than being tired.

It implies feeling “run down” or “worn out”. ⁣

And I don’t think we are capable of doing much good when we feel weary. ⁣

I love feeling energized but tired from doing good things.

That is a fulfilling feeling! ⁣

But it’s also important to know when to say “no” or “not now” when we begin to feel that weariness.

How have you learned to weary not in well doing?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black