Have you ever felt like you’re really tired – but you’re not? Your body can still take it, but your emotions feel like it doesn’t want to go on. It’s as if you don’t understand yourself. You need to do something to be happy, and yet you don’t feel like doing it? This usually happens when you’ve burned yourself out. And you know, I’ve been there too.
This entry has been inspired by my discipler, Aumar Aguilar – during the time when I felt down and out and I needed help. To you I give my sincere thanks.
There was a week in my life when I was going here and there, doing a lot of things for a lot of people and for my own. I felt exhausted. I also felt weird coz physically, I didn’t feel exhausted. But there was something in me that was excruciatingly tired. What is it?
Deeper Exhaustion
Being tired goes further than physical. I realized that you feel most tired when your emotional tank is running empty in all aspects. Take note, I didn’t say EMPTY – I said RUNNING EMPTY. When your car is empty, it’s alright. Just go stop using it and put some gas to make it work again. BUT when your car is RUNNING EMPTY, not very soon, it will incur some serious damage.
Running an empty emotional tank with work, relationships, and your spiritual walk with God is one of the worst things that can happen to you.
Where’s the Gas Station?
How to overcome emotional exhaustion is not easy. You don’t need rest. And most people think that they just need to rest physically in order to overcome this. No, that’s not gonna work. You need a different source of gas to fill up your emotional tank. But the first step is – get pulled towards the gas station.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
Obviously Jesus talks about the solution when you’re tired – spiritually. We are first and foremost spiritual beings. Every human culture in this planet believes in another world beyond ours and a higher being. We are spiritual beings because that is our design and that is the reality of our existence.
Jesus says “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – notice He doesn’t say get some rest. He says for us to take his yoke! A yoke is not for resting. It is a thing used for work – for oxes in the field. To plow the soil and make it ready for planting. It is a tool for the younger ox to be guided by the wiser, more experienced one.
Real rest does not mean to take a break from all your work and relax. It’s more than that. It means to align with God. You need to change your perspective, renew your mind, realize that there are things beyond this world. Know that we only have but one purpose in our lives – to glorify God.
You don’t need to do a lot of things. You don’t need to be mindful of the entire world. You just need to know what your purpose is and live it out. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – the world will tell you differently. Living for Christ means that you walk with Him and His laws and commands. His statutes are designed for life and freedom. If you don’t live by His laws, you will live by another one – it is inevitable.
“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” – Psalm 119:45
“Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 18:5
Why are You Tired?
Is it because you have put on the yoke of the world?
Is it because you have turned from the freedom of Christ and went after the ‘freedom’ of the world?
Is it because you have lost sight of your purpose and set your heart on other goals?
What is it that makes you tired?
Put on the yoke of Christ. Align yourself with His truths and your soul will be rested. Your emotions will come alive and you will find real freedom.
