Tired vs. Weary....Which is it?
Let us not kid ourselves, we’re in a WAR folks - not a battle! It requires being aware of the enemy's schemes. What I write here today is exposing what the enemy has subtly been doing to God’s people in this season...
TIRED or WEARY. Are they the same thing? I think not... If you’re tired sleep, if you’re weary pray!
If you Google “why am I always feeling tired?” You’ll find over 3 billion answers as to why you could possibly be feeling the way you do. Many will be ‘evidence based’ and could well answer your question, but could also lead you down a rabbit trail of despair, deception, and doubt. These suggestions and answers may not be wrong, but surely this is not the first place we look for answers and clarity when the issue could well be spiritual and is manifesting in the natural.
If we look at two passages from the ESV using the word exhausted:
If we look into the Hebrew meaning for each word:
THE KEY:
The key is learning to discern which one you are! If you’re tired sleep, if you’re weary pray! The enemy has lied to us with this undertone of constantly being tired with all the pressure and unknown factors of life that have bombarded us over the past season. The economic, political and social climate has been on tender hooks for an extended season which places an unconscious pressure of instability upon our emotional, physical and spiritual state. All these factors play into the reality of being weary. Weary is your state of being in relation to the circumstances around you that chip away and deplete your will, your drive, and even your commune with God. Financial pressure makes you weary; disobedience makes you weary; relational strife makes you weary; living in perpetual fear makes you weary; sinful behavior makes you weary. Being weary brings about more questions than answers. However, running or cycling a bicycle or climbing a mountain, makes you tired, not weary.
The Ekklesia is in a weary state as we have needed to learn to adjust to new ways of doing things. The adjusting has required more of us as we are no longer in a battle but in a war. The assault of the enemy has been heightened. His aim is to try to force us to give up. His aim is to try to get us to fall into doubting the goodness and faithfulness of God. His tactic is to try to make us turn on each other when, in fact, we need each other the most.
A clear perspective is one of the first things the enemy likes to cloud so we feel overwhelmed, rudderless, and weary. Let us remind ourselves that we do not serve the kingdoms or systems of this world; but we serve a King who has established His Kingdom rule and authority through us His church. We have been given authority to subdue the earth and see the Kingdom advance. This Kingdom is unshakable. No matter what we face, we will never be turned-over or become an obsolete people to only be remembered in the history books. No, our God is the one who holds the future. Our God is the one who has shaped history. We know our King is due to return a second time for His glorious bride. He is the God of yesterday, today and forever.
So if something is in a depleted or depleting state, there must be a way to replenish, restore, refuel and refill.
As we sign off, I want to highlight some thoughts for this past season. I highlight this only because these are narratives the world plays over and over again that we may have been tempted to follow or adhere to. When we set the perspective straight and live giving proper attention to our bodily make up of “body, soul and spirit” we can be confident that depression, anxiety disorders, burnouts and breakdowns do not need to be the narrative over our lives. I am certain that over this last season, these mental states came knocking at your door. At times, you probably felt that burnout or a breakdown was imminent. This has been a ploy of the enemy in wearing us down to make us partner with his design and narrative.
What I am NOT saying is you need to fight this on your own and avoid speaking to people about any mental state. If you need professional input seek guidance from a spirit-filled, Christian voice. I want to assure you that if you do suffer from any of these mental states, this is not the narrative and does not define who you are as a child of God. The church was made and built as community and David showed that by leaving two hundred of his soldiers behind to take rest from the battle. Such action still meant they were equal partakers in the spoil from their victory. This enhances the thinking that it is ok to take time away from the frontline of battle and rest. You will not be left out in this move of God we are seeing in our days. On the other hand, if you have been weary, continuing the pursuit is good, but getting a Godly perspective is key to being sustained.
As we continue our pursuit to see the glory of the Lord fall in these days, we remind ourselves — For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
With confidence we can say — Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-10)
We choose to serve the Lord with our whole hearts — But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 20-23)
So if you’re tired, sleep, and rest! If you’re weary, do not give up on the pursuit! Make the right choices in this war and you’ll come through victorious. Leading yourself and people from a place of vulnerability and authenticity will not carry power, authority, or impact if it is not truthful. Truthfulness will come from the place of your spirit, not your soul. Soul leading will be emotional, stir thinking and leave an impression but it will not sustain lasting change or impact in your life or others. When leading from the place of your spirit it will be soaked in wisdom and truth flowing from a clear conscience as your words and the position of your heart bring about a deeper communion and lasting change between you and people you lead.
Pastor Sheldon Kidwell
Bay City Church
Cape Town, South Africa
TIRED or WEARY. Are they the same thing? I think not... If you’re tired sleep, if you’re weary pray!
If you Google “why am I always feeling tired?” You’ll find over 3 billion answers as to why you could possibly be feeling the way you do. Many will be ‘evidence based’ and could well answer your question, but could also lead you down a rabbit trail of despair, deception, and doubt. These suggestions and answers may not be wrong, but surely this is not the first place we look for answers and clarity when the issue could well be spiritual and is manifesting in the natural.
If we look at two passages from the ESV using the word exhausted:
- 1 Samuel 30:10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who
were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. - Judges 8:4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were
with him, exhausted yet pursuing.
If we look into the Hebrew meaning for each word:
- 1 Samuel 30:10 - exhausted is פָּגַר p̱âg̱ar (h6296) meaning — to relax, become exhausted, be faint. This word is only used twice in the Old Testament and both times in this chapter of 1 Samuel 30.
- 1 Samuel 30:21 “Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David.”
- Judges 8:4 - exhausted is עָיֵף ‘âêyp̱ (h5889) meaning — thirsty, weary or faint
- Other times this word is used is
- Proverbs 25:25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
- Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
- Jeremiah 31:25 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.
- Other times this word is used is
THE KEY:
The key is learning to discern which one you are! If you’re tired sleep, if you’re weary pray! The enemy has lied to us with this undertone of constantly being tired with all the pressure and unknown factors of life that have bombarded us over the past season. The economic, political and social climate has been on tender hooks for an extended season which places an unconscious pressure of instability upon our emotional, physical and spiritual state. All these factors play into the reality of being weary. Weary is your state of being in relation to the circumstances around you that chip away and deplete your will, your drive, and even your commune with God. Financial pressure makes you weary; disobedience makes you weary; relational strife makes you weary; living in perpetual fear makes you weary; sinful behavior makes you weary. Being weary brings about more questions than answers. However, running or cycling a bicycle or climbing a mountain, makes you tired, not weary.
The Ekklesia is in a weary state as we have needed to learn to adjust to new ways of doing things. The adjusting has required more of us as we are no longer in a battle but in a war. The assault of the enemy has been heightened. His aim is to try to force us to give up. His aim is to try to get us to fall into doubting the goodness and faithfulness of God. His tactic is to try to make us turn on each other when, in fact, we need each other the most.
A clear perspective is one of the first things the enemy likes to cloud so we feel overwhelmed, rudderless, and weary. Let us remind ourselves that we do not serve the kingdoms or systems of this world; but we serve a King who has established His Kingdom rule and authority through us His church. We have been given authority to subdue the earth and see the Kingdom advance. This Kingdom is unshakable. No matter what we face, we will never be turned-over or become an obsolete people to only be remembered in the history books. No, our God is the one who holds the future. Our God is the one who has shaped history. We know our King is due to return a second time for His glorious bride. He is the God of yesterday, today and forever.
So if something is in a depleted or depleting state, there must be a way to replenish, restore, refuel and refill.
- Your physical and fleshly make-up is made-up of “desire, comfort and convenience” which requires a discipline of a good diet, decision making, self-control, exercise and sleep. By keeping these cravings in check you will not allow the flesh to be out of control.
- Taking care of your souls made up of “mind, will and emotion” start with being aware of your thinking by starting to ‘see’ your thoughts in order to take them captive and make them subject to Jesus Christ. Be aware what your eye and ear gate are being exposed to. Keep in check as to what motivates and drives your will for life. Your emotions are not the truth, they are an expression to bring about a response of behaviour. You can be angry but it is what you do with that anger which can lead to an emotionally imbalanced state and if left to fester it will breed other emotions like bitterness, which the enemy likes to cling his hooks to. If we live from this place we can be stuck in a ‘soulish’ state which makes these emotional feelings and responses mask as being spiritually when in fact they are just emotion from the soul.
- You are a spiritual being made up of “wisdom, communion and conscience”. You can’t make your spirit more spiritual because it is the same spirit of Jesus that has been made alive within you (Ephesians 2). When you feed on the word of God and do His will, it will sustain you. Jesus said in John 4, “My food is to do the will of the Father.” It is learning to live from the place of your spirit that feeds your soul (John 15), that understands the rest of God (Hebrews 4), knowing that His anointing teaches you all things (1 John 2:27), assured that you’re a child of God and if a child then an heir (Romans 8). Intimacy and communion with the Lord, by the Spirit, is what will sustain you as you live in wisdom and from the place of a clear conscience.
As we sign off, I want to highlight some thoughts for this past season. I highlight this only because these are narratives the world plays over and over again that we may have been tempted to follow or adhere to. When we set the perspective straight and live giving proper attention to our bodily make up of “body, soul and spirit” we can be confident that depression, anxiety disorders, burnouts and breakdowns do not need to be the narrative over our lives. I am certain that over this last season, these mental states came knocking at your door. At times, you probably felt that burnout or a breakdown was imminent. This has been a ploy of the enemy in wearing us down to make us partner with his design and narrative.
What I am NOT saying is you need to fight this on your own and avoid speaking to people about any mental state. If you need professional input seek guidance from a spirit-filled, Christian voice. I want to assure you that if you do suffer from any of these mental states, this is not the narrative and does not define who you are as a child of God. The church was made and built as community and David showed that by leaving two hundred of his soldiers behind to take rest from the battle. Such action still meant they were equal partakers in the spoil from their victory. This enhances the thinking that it is ok to take time away from the frontline of battle and rest. You will not be left out in this move of God we are seeing in our days. On the other hand, if you have been weary, continuing the pursuit is good, but getting a Godly perspective is key to being sustained.
As we continue our pursuit to see the glory of the Lord fall in these days, we remind ourselves — For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
With confidence we can say — Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-10)
We choose to serve the Lord with our whole hearts — But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 20-23)
So if you’re tired, sleep, and rest! If you’re weary, do not give up on the pursuit! Make the right choices in this war and you’ll come through victorious. Leading yourself and people from a place of vulnerability and authenticity will not carry power, authority, or impact if it is not truthful. Truthfulness will come from the place of your spirit, not your soul. Soul leading will be emotional, stir thinking and leave an impression but it will not sustain lasting change or impact in your life or others. When leading from the place of your spirit it will be soaked in wisdom and truth flowing from a clear conscience as your words and the position of your heart bring about a deeper communion and lasting change between you and people you lead.
Pastor Sheldon Kidwell
Bay City Church
Cape Town, South Africa
