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But Lord I'm Tired - Part 2 - Weariness in the Faith Can Be Fatal

by Jerry Ousley  
7/06/2012 / Christian Living

Have you ever heard the expression that says "you can work yourself to death?" Some don't believe it to be true but I think it is. I heard a little story one time that illustrates this. It seems that there was a man, whom we'll call "Pete," who had witnessed his very first Volkswagen. I'm not talking about those we have today, but those original little "bugs" that had no radiator. Instead they had air cooled engines. Pete was very curious as to why there was no radiator in the vehicle and the owner explained to him about the air-cooled system. In his final words of explanation he told Pete that the faster he drove the car the cooler its engine would be.

He seemed to grasp the concept and as the owner sped away in his little Volkswagen, Pete looked at his means of transportation: A large brown horse. The horse had no radiator so it must be "air-cooled" as well. Pete climbed up on his faithful steed and began galloping down the road. He rode the horse hard and just kept pushing him until finally it fell over, dead from exhaustion. Pete climbed out from in under his deceased horse, looked down on it then scratched his head. He then said, "Hmmm; must have frozen to death."

We've been discussing the balance in the Christian walk between over-work and holding true to what God has put in our hearts to do. I spent nineteen years as a pastor and so I suppose I'm a little prone to looking at this from a pastor's viewpoint but it holds true for any Christian who has been called of God to do a work for Him. Often we push too hard in order to do what we think others expect from us.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:1-3: "Therefore, 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 set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." This passage is telling us that we are surrounded with witnesses. Chapter eleven had given an account of many who had gone on before us, giving up all for God. It has been justly called the "Roll Call of Faith." These are certainly a part of this great crowd of witnesses, but there are also many who witness our lives daily right here on Planet Earth.

Tragically there have been many pastors over the years who have just been worked to death. They have given up their personal time, their family time and their very lives to do what they have been taught are the duties of a good pastor. Often they labor without adequate compensation and consequently they and their families suffer for it.

Many have finally given in and just quit. It's time we learn just what being a pastor or any other Christian work for that matter, really entails. We are called to give our all for the Gospel. It is right that we put God first. But has God really called us to forsake our families for Him? I realize that in another passage of scripture Jesus Himself said that we are to give up our family relationships for Him. But if we read those verses in the correct context, comparing them with other scripture we'll soon learn that Jesus was telling us that we put Him first but not at the expense of forsaking our families. In fact, Paul told us that if we don't provide for our families that we are worse than an infidel. So where's the balance? I believe that it's in what we are really called to do.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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