Tired

Tired
by Shelly Burke, Editor and Publisher, and author of Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom's Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home

(from Google images)

Are you tired today?

I don’t mean physically tired, I mean tired of enduring challenges, emotional and spiritual.

Tired of being hopeful in the face of financial troubles.

Tired of setting a good example for your kids, an example which, at almost every turn, is contradicted by the world.

Tired of praying for a spouse or friend to become closer to God.

Tired of working so hard for what seems to be so little.

Tired of praying for a long-time difficult situation to change.

Tired of struggling with illness.

Tired of an ever-growing prayer list that friends and relatives facing serious illnesses or devastating situations.

Today my Bible reading was from 2 Corinthians 9. I tried to pick just one verse that represented the “tired” theme, but I quickly realized that verses 6-11 all represent encouragement for the tired in spirit.

This section starts with these words: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” We usually think of this verse as meaning to “sow” with money, but it also refers to our spiritual gifts like love and encouragement. When we give generously to others--of our love, our encouragement, our patience--we will then reap bountifully.

The next verse says, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” As a writer, I try to avoid repetition of a word in a paragraph or sentence unless I want to emphasize a point. Paul repeated the word “all” four times in this single verse, so I think he wants us to focus on the fact that God is truly gives us His grace in all of our works, all the time.

A verse later we read the promise that God “will supply and multiply your seed for sowing…You will be enriched in very way to be generous in every way” not just financially, but with our time, our encouragement, our love, our patience, our work.The more we give, the more we will get, so we can be even more generous! I am so thankful that when I am tired of praying, tired of struggling, tired of just enduring…I don’t have to do it by myself. I can know that God’s grace is sufficient, know that He will multiply what I want to give, that He will enable me to meet the needs of others.

Thank You, Lord, for enabling me to endure when I am tired. Please continue to give me Your grace so that I can sow generously in all ways, to those around me.

(I’m also blogging at Home is Where the Mom Is. Read

today’s post, titled “It’s not Written in Cement.”)