<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.\u201d Isaiah 40:29-31<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know about you, but my emails have been bombarded with offers promoting everything from million-dollar business ideas to the world\u2019s best supplements and everything in between. I\u2019ve been hesitant to send emails to my subscribers for fear of adding to the chaos.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Less than a month into the new year, everyone seems to be running at high speed on the treadmill of life. I\u2019m afraid it won\u2019t be long before all those sprinters will be worn out and running on fumes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What about you? Did you start the new year racing ahead only to feel exhausted by the end of the first week? While it\u2019s tempting to join the frenzy this year, I\u2019ve decided to walk at a new pace. It\u2019s a simpler, gentler pace set by the Holy Spirit who is calling me to stop, look, and listen. <\/p>\n
Just as we teach our children how to cross the street safely, God is putting his loving hand in front of me, preventing me from darting into traffic. I love this visual, don\u2019t you? The Lord standing with us on the curb of opportunity, letting us know when it\u2019s safe to cross.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been sprinting since January 1st, and you’re already running on fumes, here are a few things you can do to slow your pace as God leads:<\/p>\n
We\u2019re so used to attributing the Psalms to David that it might be surprising to learn that Psalm 127 is written by his son, Solomon. It starts by saying, \u201cUnless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep\u201d (Psalm 127:1-2).<\/p>\n
This passage reminds me of the Book of Ecclesiastes where Solomon writes from a state of despair, saying, \u201cUtterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?\u201d (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3).<\/p>\n
It seems one of the wisest kings in all of history was running on fumes himself. Having riches and pleasures and everything his heart desired, he still struggled to find peace. And God\u2019s peace is what sustains us through it all. Amen?<\/p>\n
When our priorities get mixed up, we spend too much time and energy chasing after something, anything<\/em>, to fulfill us. But over time, this leads to exhaustion and can even lead to burnout. Identifying what is meaningful versus meaningless is a great way to slow your pace and step into exactly what God has called you to do.<\/p>\n Here are a few questions to help you prioritize:<\/p>\n -What gives you energy? What zaps your energy?<\/p>\n -What are three things you can (and should) let go of today?<\/p>\n -What is one thing you\u2019d like to start this week?<\/p>\n -Who are the people closest to you, and how are you making them a priority?<\/p>\n -Are you spending time with God, and how can you increase time with Him?<\/p>\n As Solomon said, \u201cUnless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.\u201d This reminds us that in all the work we do, in all our efforts and striving, it is meaningless without God\u2019s favor and blessing.<\/p>\n Reevaluate what is consuming your time and attention and eliminate activities that are non-essential. Once you experience more margin in your schedule, you\u2019ll be able to breathe deeply again, unhurried by outside pressures that, in the end, are meaningless.<\/p>\n Recently, I was challenged to try a journaling exercise by listing 50 things I wanted to do, have, or be in the next year. As I reviewed my list, I felt a bit overwhelmed, thinking I\u2019d never accomplish my \u201cdreams.\u201d But when I narrowed it down to a few key goals, the finish line came into view.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling unfocused and overwhelmed, it might be time to fine-tune your dreams and narrow your horizons. Even if you can\u2019t come up with 50 things you\u2019d like to do, have, or be, write down 10. Circle the top three and go from there.<\/p>\n Here are some goals you might list:<\/p>\n -Travel to a place you\u2019ve never been before<\/p>\n -Volunteer for a local ministry or community outreach<\/p>\n -Join a hiking club<\/p>\n -Start a blog<\/p>\n Romans 12:2 reminds us, \u201cDo not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\u2019s will is\u2014his good, pleasing and perfect will.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Prayerfully fine-tuning our dreams reveals areas where we\u2019ve conformed to the world\u2019s way of thinking and doing. It refocuses our hearts on God\u2019s will and helps us eliminate what doesn\u2019t belong. And when we get clear on what\u2019s most important, we\u2019re able to move forward without all the extra stuff wearing us down.<\/p>\n The promotion of self-care has exploded in recent years, and rightfully so. I\u2019m not talking about self-indulgence here, but rather, daily care of our heart, mind, body, and spirit. After all, we were created as multi-faceted people and need a multi-faceted approach to stay fueled for the journey.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re running on fumes, fill your calendar with self-care appointments including:<\/p>\n -Afternoon naps<\/p>\n -Walks outside<\/p>\n -Date nights with your spouse or time with friends<\/p>\n -Personal retreats to rest and pray<\/p>\n If it\u2019s not on the calendar, it probably won\u2019t happen. Treat these appointments as \u201ccan\u2019t miss\u201d engagements to keep you fueled and going strong.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the world is full of fast-paced offers enticing us to \u201ctake action\u201d and \u201csprint to success.\u201d However, there\u2019s a gentle pace set by the Holy Spirit, a pace that invites us into sweet communion with Him. Will you carve out time today to hear His still, small voice telling you to stop, look, and listen?<\/p>\n A Prayer for the Person Running on Fumes:<\/p>\n Gracious God, please bless the person reading this today, the one who is worn out and exhausted from everything pulling them in different directions. Lord, You know their circumstances better than anyone. Please break through the noise and draw them into Your peaceful presence. Call them deeper into the pasture, beside still waters, where they can think clearly and realign with Your will. Help them eliminate things that are non-essential and find joy in the goals that matter. Refuel them by Your Holy Spirit, breathing new life into them and providing strength for the journey. In Jesus\u2019 name, amen.<\/em><\/p>\n More Resources for Your Journey:<\/p>\n A Prayer for God to Bring You Through an Exhausting Life Phase Photo Credit: \u00a9Aaron Amat<\/span><\/p>\n Jennifer Waddle<\/strong> is the author of several books, including Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer,\u00a0<\/em>and is a regular contributor for LifeWay, Crosswalk, Abide, and Christians Care International. Jennifer\u2019s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com where you can find her books and sign up for her weekly post, Discouragement Doesn<\/em>\u2019t Win.<\/em> She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains\u2014her favorite place on earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cHe gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[4685,2371,2974],"class_list":["post-15443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-christian-living","tag-fumes","tag-ibelieve-com","tag-running"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fine-Tune Your Goals and Ditch the Rest<\/h2>\n
Stay Fueled for the Journey<\/h2>\n
A Prayer When You Are Tired, Weary, and Ready to Give Up
How to Renew Your Faith When You’re Tired<\/p>\n