Pages

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Weary, Yet Pursuing

That was the name of my women's bible study today, and boy was it appropriate. The lesson comes from Priscilla Shirer's Gideon: Your Weakness, God's Strength. While I'm not usually one for group bible studies, I have come to enjoy this weekly get together with my coworkers.

But, back to today's topic, "Weary, Yet Pursuing." Shirer explains just how weary Gideon and his men were after fighting the Midianites. And, while we may not be fighting a physical battle such as this one, we are fighting other types of battles day in and day out. And, lets face it, these battles are exhausting. However, Shirer reminds us we shouldn't have shame or embarrassment in our fatigue as long as we are still working for the greater good and letting God into our lives.

We aren't born to be superheroes who can do everything all the time. I admit that I'm guilty of this same notion of wanting to do everything all of the time, and whenever I do become so exhausted that I have to let someone else help me with the tasks I usually handle, I feel ashamed or guilty like I'm not doing my part. But, we (myself included) need these breaks, just like Gideon and his men needed nourishment after their battle. We need to learn to turn to God and those who are important in our lives to help refuel us and give us the strength we need to keep fighting.


But, what about when there is no help to be found? In Judges 8:5-9 the Bible talks about how the people of Succouth and Penuel refused to give Gideon and his men even just a piece of bread; they didn't want to help them in case the enemy found out and punished them for it. Just like this scenario, we may have times in our lives when the people we normally turn to are too busy with their own problems to truly help us unload and find rest. However, God is always there, and he knows what you need without you even having to ask.
Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
We are reminded by this verse that if we keep our focus on the future and on the ultimate prize of seeing God in Heaven, that we will be rewarded with everything we need to keep fighting.

As Shirer succinctly sums it up:
Pushing past weariness is possible. So don't stop now, Sister. Whatever you do, don't stop now.

1 comment:

  1. A great reminder to stay focused on Christ! Great job!

    ReplyDelete