Worn Out or Persevering?

Are you worn out? I am.

I’m worn out after a nonstop flood of bad news.

• A pandemic that won’t leave.
• The death of people I love.
• Natural disasters such as the Cat 4 hurricane that hit New Orleans on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
• Men, women, and children who trusted our country now abandoned to cruel captors.
• Division that has polarized our nation on seemingly every topic imaginable—whether masks, vaccines, the president, and any other subject. About the only thing we haven’t argued about is whether the sky is blue and grass is green.

Enough! I don’t want to hear another bit of bad news. Not because I’m in denial, but because I’m just plain worn out.

I’m worn out physically from swallowing boatloads of immunity-strengthening supplements. From practically bathing in hand sanitizer. And from living with my adrenaline continually running on overdrive every time “COVID-19” is mentioned.

I’m worn out emotionally from standing between diametrically opposed groups: one that says this virus is no more dangerous than a simple flu, while another speaks of it on the same level as bubonic plague. From allowing circumstances to sap my joy. And from watching or reading news reports whose ratings thrive on cultivating fear.

Still, I don’t have the luxury of giving up. Of locking myself in my home, curled up in a fetal position. That has never been an option for any believer in Jesus Christ. Instead, we are called to persevere by remembering three important truths.

Remember who the real enemy is.

• Speaking of our spiritual enemy, Daniel 7:25 (NASB) tells us, “And he will speak against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One.”
• Satan specializes in wearing out believers. His goal is to bring us to the point of being completely worn out and ready to give up. Do you and I recognize his tactics? Are we prepared to “stand” in the evil days (Eph. 6:13)?

Remember who we belong to.

• Romans 8:15-17 reminds us, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
• We don’t have to try harder to “push through.” Instead, the answer is to surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit, whose very presence attests to our status as children of the Most High God. And one of His attributes is that of omniscience—He is all-knowing, so nothing that happens to us is a surprise to Him.

Differentiate between the temporal and the eternal.

• Our culture works very hard to convince us this world is all there is. But they’re wrong. This life is less than the proverbial “drop in the bucket” compared to what is waiting for us!
• “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6-8 ESV).

Will you and I persevere for the cause of Christ when life gets rough? When we’re tired and worn out? And even when heaven seems far away? Hebrews 12:3 (ESV) reminds us, “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

We belong to the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who sent His Son to die for us. He is worthy of our worship . . . is He not also worthy of our perseverance?