Persevering When You're Worn Out

Track 1 00:00:01

Shawn Thomas laces up his running shoes and can barely

Track 1 00:00:05

walk to the end of the block. He had been a runner for years

Track 1 00:00:08

until a serious illness in 2012 left him essentially bedridden

Track 1 00:00:12

for about a year. When he finally began to recover, even

Track 1 00:00:16

short walks were exhausting. The man who used to run miles now

Track 1 00:00:21

struggled to walk to the mailbox. His body was weak, his spirit

Track 1 00:00:25

was weary and the distance ahead felt impossible. In that season,

Track 1 00:00:30

why was someone who felt that depleted choose to keep moving

Track 1 00:00:33

forward instead of just giving up?

Track 1 00:00:38

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Léger and

Track 1 00:00:43

today we're talking about what to do when you're worn out but

Track 1 00:00:47

you still have a race to run. Here's what Hebrews 12: 1-2 says,

Track 1 00:00:52

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd

Track 1 00:00:55

of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every

Track 1 00:00:59

weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so

Track 1 00:01:02

easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God

Track 1 00:01:06

has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the

Track 1 00:01:11

champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of

Track 1 00:01:15

the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its

Track 1 00:01:19

shame. "Now, He is seated in the place of honor beside God's

Track 1 00:01:23

throne." The writer of Hebrews is speaking to people who are

Track 1 00:01:26

tired. They've been following Jesus for a while and they've

Track 1 00:01:29

faced hardship and some of them are ready to quit. And to that

Track 1 00:01:34

weariness, he paints a picture. You're a runner in a race and

Track 1 00:01:37

the stands are filled with people who have already finished:

Track 1 00:01:40

Abraham, Moses, Rahab, David and they're cheering you on,

Track 1 00:01:46

reminding you it can be done. But here's the key: let us run

Track 1 00:01:50

with endurance the race God has set before us. It doesn't say

Track 1 00:01:55

sprint; it says run with endurance. at it when everything

Track 1 00:02:02

in you wants to stop. It's a marathon word, not a hundred

Track 1 00:02:06

meter dash word. when you're worn out?" Well, we do this by

Track 1 00:02:11

keeping our eyes on Jesus. Not by keeping our eyes on how far

Track 1 00:02:14

we have left to go. Not by keeping our eyes on how fast

Track 1 00:02:18

everyone else is running. And not by keeping our eyes on our

Track 1 00:02:21

own strength. What we do is fix your eyes on Jesus, the one who

Track 1 00:02:26

started your faith and the one who will finish it. Jesus

Track 1 00:02:29

himself ran his race, it says because of the joy awaiting him,

Track 1 00:02:33

he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. He knew

Track 1 00:02:37

what was on the other side of the pain. He kept moving forward

Track 1 00:02:41

and now he's seated at God's right hand, the place of honor,

Track 1 00:02:44

and he's inviting you to follow the same path. Endure, he says

Track 1 00:02:49

keep your eyes on me and trust me with the finish line. One

Track 1 00:02:52

passage also says, "Trip off every weight that slows us down,

Track 1 00:02:56

especially the sin that so easily trips us up." When you're

Track 1 00:03:01

extra tired, extra weight makes everything harder. Maybe there's

Track 1 00:03:05

something you're carrying that God never asked you to carry.

Track 1 00:03:08

Maybe an old grudge, a habit that drains you, a distraction

Track 1 00:03:13

that pulls your focus, or a sin pattern that keeps tripping you

Track 1 00:03:16

up. Part of persevering is being honest about what's weighing you

Track 1 00:03:20

down and letting it go. But if you're not going to be a good

Track 1 00:03:24

thing, you're not going to be able to do it. But if you're not

Track 1 00:03:28

going to be able to do it, you're not going to be able to

Track 1 00:03:28

do it. If you're not going to be able to do it, you're not going

Track 1 00:03:29

to be able to do it. You're not going to be able to do it. So,

Track 1 00:03:31

he made a conscious choice, slow down, shorten the stride and

Track 1 00:03:35

focus on one step at a time. And this here came his picture of

Hebrews 12 00:03:39

1-2. The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Hebrews 12 00:03:43

Persevering often looks like, "Just take the next step. Have

Hebrews 12 00:03:47

your quiet time today. Show up for worship today. Turn from sin

Hebrews 12 00:03:51

today." Rather than obsessing over the miles ahead. Lay aside

Hebrews 12 00:03:56

what's weighing you down, and run with endurance. Keep your

Hebrews 12 00:03:58

eyes fixed on Jesus, not on your own strength. One faithful step

Hebrews 12 00:04:03

at a time is how worn-out people finish the race. Maybe that's

Hebrews 12 00:04:07

exactly where you are today. You're not sure you can keep

Hebrews 12 00:04:10

going. Ministry feels heavy. Parenting feels exhausting. Work

Hebrews 12 00:04:15

feels endless. And maybe your faith feels dry. And the finish

Hebrews 12 00:04:19

line seems impossibly far away. Here's what I want you to

Hebrews 12 00:04:23

remember. You don't have to run the whole race today. You just

Hebrews 12 00:04:28

have to take the next step. Read your Bible today. Pray today.

Hebrews 12 00:04:31

Show up today. Trust Jesus today. That's what endurance looks like.

Hebrews 12 00:04:36

Not superhuman strength, but small faithful steps with your

Hebrews 12 00:04:40

eyes fixed on the One who already finished His race and is

Hebrews 12 00:04:43

now cheering you on. Here's today's challenge. Think about

Hebrews 12 00:04:47

one thing that's been weighing you down or slowing you down

Hebrews 12 00:04:50

spiritually. It might be a distraction or a habit. It could

Hebrews 12 00:04:54

even be a sin that keeps tripping you up. Ask God to help

Hebrews 12 00:04:58

you lay it aside. Then, instead of looking at how far you have

Hebrews 12 00:05:02

to go, fix your eyes on Jesus and commit to one faithful step

Hebrews 12 00:05:06

today. Read a passage of Scripture. Spend five minutes in

Hebrews 12 00:05:11

prayer. Forgive someone. Obey in one small area. Whatever it is,

Hebrews 12 00:05:16

just do one thing. start there and then let that be your race

Hebrews 12 00:05:21

for today. Lord, some of us are tired. Some of us feel like we

Hebrews 12 00:05:26

can barely make it to the mailbox, spiritually speaking.

Hebrews 12 00:05:29

Thank you for the reminder that we don't have to run this race

Hebrews 12 00:05:32

alone and we don't have to run it in our own strength. Help us

Hebrews 12 00:05:35

trip off the weights that slow us down and help us fix our eyes

Hebrews 12 00:05:38

on Jesus and give us the grace to take the next step today,

Hebrews 12 00:05:42

trusting you with the finish line. In Jesus name, amen.

Hebrews 12 00:05:47

Please share this episode with someone who's feeling worn out

Hebrews 12 00:05:50

in their faith today. Just send them the link from the show

Hebrews 12 00:05:53

notes. Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for

Hebrews 12 00:05:56

Busy Lives. Remember, fixing your eyes on Jesus gives you

Hebrews 12 00:06:00

strength to keep running your race, one step at a time. Come

Hebrews 12 00:06:04

back next time for more encouragement to help you live

Hebrews 12 00:06:07

grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless and have a great

Hebrews 12 00:06:12

day.