Not all tired is created equal. After the birth of my sons, I noticed I was spending more of my days feeling tired and fatigued. Not the good kind of tired you feel after working hard to completing a task, but the bad kind of tired that lingers long after the work is done. You may intimately know this type of tired. It sits on your life and weighs down your soul and spirit. It’s suffocating, debilitating, and depressing.
Where does this level of exhaustion come from? No one invites overwhelm into their life, but we often invite more into our lives without taking a personal inventory to see if we really have room for it.
More shifts at work.
More activities at church.
More items on our to-do lists.
More goals to accomplish.
More possessions to own.
More, more, more.
This level of exhaustion slithers in, sometimes unnoticed, into the garden of your life. It compels you to spend your days striving and pushing yourself to your limits. It feeds on a mentality that more work equals more worth. So we work through our lunch breaks and volunteer to do overtime. We schedule in errands to fill our weekend. We pack our vacations with activities. We accomplish much, but at what expense? I fear the cost of this type of living is too high. While it may seem high-achieving, the fruit it produces lacks the fragrance of a happy fulfilling life.
It creates a level of chronic inner fatigue that cannot be overcome by simply sleeping more or going on a vacation. It can’t be resolved with a quick fix. It requires relearning how to slow down. It requires you learn to linger and relax over a cup of coffee. It requires closing your laptop, shutting off your cell phone, and walking away from social media for a few hours each day. It requires face-to-face time with those we cherish. It requires you, fully present and engaged in the moment.
No wonder the thought of taking a day off each week for Sabbath seems like an impossible dream for most of us. We’ve become programmed to live enslaved to our days when Christ wants to set us free to rest in Him. Not just a quick vacation or temporary rest, but a lifestyle of living at rest.
Can you be 100% honest with me? With yourself? How is your maxed-out, stressed-out, multitasking life working for you? Is all your activity getting the results you desire?
A healthy work-rest ratio helps avoid this type of deep fatigue. When we practice a healthy rhythm of work and rest, we open our lives to experiencing more joy, enjoying more satisfaction, and being empowered to live on purpose and with passion. When we prioritize rest we take back control of our lives.
Rest can help you thrive by:
- Repairs the daily injuries to your body, mind, soul, and spirit.
- Regenerates you with energy, hope, and new strength.
In laying some things down on purpose, we pick-up so much more.
More of God’s power to revive us.
More of His peace to renew us.
More of His presence to strengthen us.
More of His love to sustain us.
More of His joy to encourage us.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and overcome by fatigue, practice praying scripture as a way to restore your mind and your spirit. You will find your body will have an easier time unwinding and relaxing once your mind is calm and your spirit refreshed.
9 Scriptures to Pray When Overwhelmed
You will notice these scriptures have been adjusted to be an intimate first-person statement. If you would like to see the actual scripture in context, click on the adjacent verse link.
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
I can cast all my anxieties on Him because He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7)
As I wait on the Lord, He will renew my strength; I shall mount up with wings like eagles; I shall run and not be weary; I shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
I will be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)
It is the Lord who goes before me. He will be with me; he will not fail me or forsake me. I do not need to fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
When I cry for help, the Lord hears me and rescues me from all my troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
The Lord is my hiding place; He will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)
God’s grace is sufficient for me because His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Psalm 28:7)
Learn more about resting deeper in God in my upcoming release SACRED REST. In it, I describe 7 distinct types of rest, discuss the resulting 12 gifts of rest, and give practical tips on how to incorporate more rest in your life.
Thanks DR. SAUNDRA for these scriptures, I will memorize them and speak them daily.
Glad you found them helpful!
Amen. 🙂
Thank you for this. Sometimes we feel guilty for resting but God knows we need it. When we ignore our need to rest, our body will force us into it.
So true Christie! Either we make time for rest or eventually, the body will just start shutting down. Blessings to you!
This same type of fatigue and just plain tiredness is similar to the feeling I have when I’m about to have an ‘episode’ (when depression kicks in). No matter what I try to do, or not do, I’m just tired!
Thank you for these.
Rest, or the lack of, has a huge effect on how we feel emotionally. You are right, Beth. Sometimes nothing seems to help until we make time to rest.
Awesome! The Scriptures came right on time for me!
Excellent Sonya! Blessings to you!
wow….He always knows exactly what I need at exactly the right moment. Thank you for sharing…