Tired...

Tired...

by David Brenneman 

When you end your day is it a day of your own design and desires ending or is it a day of striving to be what God intended for you to be that draws to a close?

Therein is a big difference.  Being tired for our sake is not being tired for His sake. 

We read that we are His workmanship, not that we're going to be His workmanship. 

It isn't worded in a way that leaves a door open for options.  Yet we do indeed create them don't we?  Doesn't matter who the human being is, we still try to wriggle in at least a portion of "my will be done".

Being honest in this here and this now with ourselves and God really makes it easier to stand before Jesus later with fewer regrets. 

Our Bible reads that our lives are not our own, we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Savior. 

We continue to read that we're to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Him.  

So let's go back to how the day went. 

How much of it was us being magnified and how much was Jesus? 

How often were we following behind Him and how much more were we in front of Him?

Because we all know that's really reality. 

It's really the mature in Christ that have learned to walk beside Him. 

"Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: 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 3:12-14 NASB. 

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NASB. 

"Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB 

Do you see it?  Persistence. 

Do you see what the Spirit is working to accomplish? Sanctification. 

In Christ we are already justified before God. 

It's a moment by moment decision making thing.  Our minds want to wander because of all the apparent shiny things this world has to offer.  Apparent. As in fools gold.

Looks wonderful until it sinks its teeth into us.  

Then it can be a lifelong battle to rid ourselves of it.  Of this I can attest. 

You think it's merely a suggestion to set your mind on things above?

You think it's merely a suggestion to take every thought captive?

You think that the instruction from God through the Spirit is merely a guide to use if it feels good only?

Part of the work of the Spirit is Spiritual Surgery.   The intentional removal of those things, those thoughts, that do not encourage growth in Christ Jesus. 

It doesn't matter what or who, it will eventually be removed if indeed we believe in "thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".

Your choice, because of the cross of Jesus Christ, is to obey or disobey. 

Which brings us back around to tired.

There IS a good kind of tired and a bad kind of tired.

Tired for the physical reason can lead to temptation and sin if we aren't careful. 

That's part of H.A.L.T. Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.

We sometimes get into a rut n feel hopeless because it's been there so long. 

My Dear Reader, our hope remains in Christ Jesus. Paul encouraged thousands if not millions over the years to keep the faith.  

People fall down in a race all the time. Those who do make the news long before the winner of it.

We have both Angels and Demons on the sidelines. Encouraging success and condemning our failures. 

Demons pointing to benches to sit out the race. Pointing to every temptation that they know has a thread of a chance to get us to stumble.  

Angels pointing to Jesus, to the cross, to our ever present strength in the time of the storm.  Pointing us to that prize at the end. 

Your life is not, by any stretch of the imagination, private. Jesus sees it all. Jesus hears our prayers. Jesus will act in accordance with His will for you as well as in obedience to His Father. 

We so easily forget that we're now visitor's.  We are not here to establish a kingdom in our name. We represent the Kingdom of God. Big difference. 

We easily don't think beyond the moment or we are concerned about the future or dwell on the past. 

Our society is pushing everyone into a life of living for the moment and to not consider the consequences.  Whatever it takes to enjoy our own desires. Because when we do we aren't focused on the race set before us.

Therein is a key thought. The race IS set before you. You DO have a race to run.

A race to consider trying to win. We are taught to run as if wanting to win.

Does this describe you?  I have been tired for all the right reasons and all the wrong. 

When you start your day is what is important to Jesus important to you?  Or is your list of what you want?

Are you TOO focused on self to be of any Heavenly use to God?  

As the Bible says, "For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20 NASB. 

Glorifying God with your body doesn't include you using most of your time working on your body.  Some of the most healthy of people still died when God said that their time was up. 

There is to be a balance, not an imbalance in taking care of what God gave you physically and you obsessing over it daily rather than doing the work in the body of Christ that the Spirit set you into, to accomplish for Jesus. 

It's going to be a major embarrassment to many to stand before Jesus and their only great accomplishments will revolve around their care for themselves rather than having been about the Father’s business. 

If you're going to be tired, be tired for the right reasons and get the rest you need to be ready for the next leg of the race that you ARE in...