Left unchecked, a weary heart can lead into some dark places. I say that because I’ve been there and I’ve seen it happen in the lives of my community. Maybe you can relate?
Fatigue is no joke, especially in this current season. Feeling overwhelmed and burnt out has become a normal thing, almost an expected part of life. We push ourselves, knowing we will hit the wall, because we are resigned to this weariness.
What is this resistance to rest? Have you noticed how there doesn’t seem to be a real value for it in our modern culture? In some form or another, we have all bought the lie that rest is the reward for a job well done. The problem with line of thinking is that we cannot produce anything without with regular rhythms of rest.
So, how do we combat the cycles that deplete and steal? Well, ultimately, we need to learn how to maintain rhythms of rest (more on that later), but to do that we also need to recognize what fatigue looks like in all it’s forms. A weary heart typically exhibits physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual exhaustion. We need get better at bringing rest to all areas of the soul.
Weariness is a joy robber, plain and simple, and it’s not what God designed for His people. The way of God is shalom. Peace is about wholeness and rightness and He has made a way for us to return to that. On the blog today, we’ll do an overview of 7 essential practices for the weary heart that can help us cultivate a place for shalom in the soul.
Defining weariness
I think it’s helpful to understand that a weary heart is a symptom, it’s a red flag that tells us that the soul is sick. The reality is, formulating a plan to overcome or manage this kind of thing, although it may feel hard it’s not complicated. We have been designed with millions of internal indicators that help us know what we really need. For example, yawning signals the need for sleep. What are some other signs?
- Inability to concentrate
- A loss of vocabulary
- Irrational irritability
- Anxious feelings
- Discouragement
- Loneness
- Boredom
- Escapism
- Confusion
- Discontent
Weariness creeps in showing up in all these different ways, and the typical solution we reach for is sleep or a secession of activity. It’s a difficult place to be when everything feels wrong, but we need to cultivate the ability to discern the true problem so we can treat it correctly. You know that this is one of the enemy’s favorite tactics, right? He attacks the weakest place concentrating his efforts on drawing us away from Jesus, our life source. Busyness and fatigue are right in the center of his honey pot. We need to wise up.
Weariness is a disorientation of the soul that is ultimately rooted in fear and pride. I know that may sound ugly, but that’s why recovery can feel so hard. A weary heart feels like all kinds of yuck, but from the middle of that place, God whispers an invitation to the soul. He confronts the lack and calls soul to realign and reconnect. Isn’t that astounding? God is good and his kindness knows no end.
7 Essential practices for the weary heart
There are many practical things we can do to maintain rhythms of rest for the soul. Dealing with the physical needs is typically a little easier to figure out, because we are wired and understand that cause and effect pattern well. Discerning how to revive and restore the other parts of our being can feel a little foreign, but I’ve put together a list of disciplines that are helpful in developing and maintaining life-giving rhythms that lead to shalom.
Gratitude
Gratitude just has a way of changing things. It’s not a magic fix, but thanksgiving is an offering of praise. True heartfelt worship always leads to breakthrough. Why? Because God lives in the midst of our praise and where God is there is shalom. Every offering begins with surrender, so when we give our gratitude it creates an irresistible fragrance that attracts the heart of the Father.
The weary heart can find a pathway into the presence of God through the practice of gratitude. This discipline teaches us to keep company with Jesus no matter what. It’s about cultivating an awareness of His presence, gifts, benefits, mercies and grace in all the everyday moments. Gratitude focuses on the abundance of God rather than the lack of circumstances and situations. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to forge a habit and create a living collection of praise.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1-2
Breathe Prayers
I love breathe prayers because they are easy and can be done ANYWHERE! Breath in the name of Jesus and exhale the truth you need to live in.
Jesus…you are the King of my heart
Abba…you are a loving Father.
Holy Spirit…fill me up
Lord Jesus…have mercy
You are my shepherd…the reviver my soul
When I start to feel anxious this prayer form helps me to center my heart. Jesus is the source, so bringing prayer into the natural rhythm of breathing is an act of alignment. It’s an intentional choice of the will to focus and trust the name of God. It’s both declaring it for the soul and proclaiming it into the atmosphere. While God doesn’t need to hear our proclamations this act of worship is warfare. Agreeing with God means disagreeing with the lies of the enemy.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Practicing the promises
I was in Guatemala about 7 years ago, just after my Father had passed away. Grief is hard and it never really goes away, but I was also weary. Earlier in the summer we moved to a new home and I started a new job. It was an obedient act of the will, but I honored my commitment and went with our team even though my weary heart just wanted to hide.
I led worship a lot on that trip, which had not been part of the original plan, but when God moves you press in and follow His lead. Anyway, on the last night an intercessor from the church came to me after the service with a prophetic word for me regarding ministry, identity, and call. As she shared this word over my life she exhorted my weary heart to learn how live in the promises of God.
Practicing the promises of God is about believing God’s heart. It is an active choice of the will and it’s not once and done. This is about camping out and rehearsing the truth over and over and over again. When I came home from that trip, I began a campaign of unearthing the promises of God so that I could leverage them as a shield and defense. The gift of promise makes that courage step easier. Memorizing scripture is a great tool for this practice.
“He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:4
Confession and Self-Examination
Intimacy with God and life transformation begin with the surrender of a weary heart. The truth of the matter is that God knows best what you and I need, but He will never violate our freedom to choose, even when we choose bad. Again, this is not once and done, it’s an ongoing practice of surrender.
Admittedly, confession and self-examination are hard. It’s one thing to acknowledge weakness, quite another to call it out by name and lay it down. Surrender always leads to freedom, but getting there can require a lot of work.
Cultivating this discipline is critical for shalom. This is the heart of the Lordship issue. If we don’t practice keeping God on the throne, we will wear ourselves out. It is only when we are laid out yielded to His will and purpose that we find true rest. Surrender is the way into the presence of God, and that’s the place of healing and restoration. We can’t do any with our self-examination and confession.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24
Submission
A weary heart can find freedom and restoration in obedience. Most of us live in a culture obsessed with personal rights and freedoms, so the very idea of submitting to another feels counterintuitive. The thing is, that is exactly what it means to be a Christ-follower. Salvation is a gift of grace received through confession and surrender. We confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we surrender the leadership of our lives to Him. Obedience is the fruit.
Submission is about alignment, it’s about yielding to the will of God’s heart and purposes. And let me tell you, obedience to the Father sends a strong message to the enemy. Obedience can be a profound weapon of warfare when we are fixed on the voice of the LORD.
“Offer you bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
Self-Care
I believe that self-care is critical. We’ve already talked about submission so I think we should be clear that self-care isn’t about serving selfish wants. Really, what we’re talking about here is honoring God by agreeing with who He says we are. I have found that other people often have strong ideas about how I should be serving them and many of these said ideas extend my heart beyond what is healthy and good. I’m not talking about stepping outside of comfort zones, I’m talking about operating outside of who God created me to be.
Some people think self-care is selfish. It’s not. Embracing your personality, gift mix, talents, and skills is right and good, but it’s also important to acknowledge your limitations. You and I are different because God created us differently. While there are Biblical principles that we are called to practice, the way it plays out looks different. Self-care is about treating ourselves with the same value God does. [If you want to learn more about self-care check out this post]
There are so many ways to practice the discipline of self-care, but one of the best ways for the context of the weary heart is through the observance of boundaries. We must learn to nurture and protect the limitations and desires of the body, mind, and spirit.
“I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation.” Psalm 139:14
Simplicity
Simplicity is like a healing balm for the weary soul. The truth of the matter is, many people don’t live with enough margin in their lives. This is an area that I have been ruthlessly working at for a long time. Busyness and things complicate and create clutter in the soul. You can only carry it for so long before you suffer under its weight.
The discipline of simplicity is about developing the ability to let go. It’s about creating space in the heart so that soul can focus on what’s really important. Also, it goes way beyond materialism.
For me, simplicity is about being authentic. I cannot carry the load of other people’s expectations or assumptions, so I work at being clearer and more distilled, with humility and grace.
“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No.’” Matthew 5:37
Rest is healing for the heart
Rest is not a reward for a job well done, it’s required to get the job done. I mentioned right off the top, that ultimately, rest is the solution for the weary heart, but it’s much more than just a ceasing of commitments and activity.
“My soul finds rest in God alone.” Psalm 62:1
The bottom line is that we need to reframe our idea of rest so that we can live from it, instead of for it. This collection of disciplines, help to create space for the soul to rest and heal. There is much application worth pursuing, from both a healing and maintaining perspective. When we practice we get better and that is the journey to the heart of God.
I hope you found this encouraging and helpful. If you are interested in more then check out my weekly devotional, called The Grace Notes! Every Friday I send out a piece of exclusive content, complete with daily readings, journal prompts, and a contemplative project.