Feeling worn and weary? I hope this post encourages you to find rest in Jesus, and get refueled so you can fulfill the ministry of reconciliation, faithfully.
I recently spoke at our annual ladies’ retreat, where the theme was “Let’s GO! Seizing the Gospel Opportunities.” The thrust of my message was having the right heart to go where God says to go. A heart that is burdened for lost souls and believes the word of God. A portion of that lesson was about what to do when you get weary in well-doing.
Well-doing is one way of saying ministry, service, or good works. Put another way, well-doing is obeying what Jesus said to be the second greatest commandment- loving your neighbor as yourself. He clarified that statement by sharing the story of the Good Samaritan and defining your neighbor as everyone.
That’s a tall order, and without the Spirit of God within us, we could not do it. But since we are born-again believers with Jesus in our hearts, we can.
That doesn’t mean we won’t ever feel like giving up. We will- a lot.
So what do we do when we get weary in well-doing? Here are 7 things that I do when my love tank runs low and I want to throw in the towel.
7 Steps to Restore Your Spiritual Energy When You Get Weary in Well-Doing
- Resist the Creep- James 4:7 KJV – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Rise up- Ephesians 5:14 KJV – Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
- Renew your mind with the word of God- Romans 12:1-2 KJV – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
- Recite the truth- Psalm 119:172 KJV – My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
- Rely on God through prayer- Psalm 9:10 KJV – And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
- Recognize where your strength comes from- Isaiah 40:31 KJV – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
- Resolve to walk in the light- Ephesians 5:8 KJV – For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Don’t let the devil get you down
The devil has several devices he uses to draw us away from fulfilling our purpose to glorify God and reproduce worshippers of Jesus. One of those tactics is discouragement. Satan wants us to have a defeated mindset and deceives us into thinking that the hard work of loving others just isn’t worth it.
Let’s never forget that the devil is a liar destined for the lake of fire! God has given us everything we need in His word, His Spirit, and His people, to recognize and resist that Creep, and to accomplish the mission He’s given us.
Galatians 6:9 KJV – And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
A Simple Prayer for When You Get Weary in Well-Doing
Merciful Father, you are good and everything you do is right and true. You are my source of strength, and I look to you now, for spiritual energy. I’m growing weary in well-doing, Lord. I don’t see the results of my obedience, and I’m losing hope that people will ever change. The weight of their sin and selfishness weighs heavy on my shoulders. Take that burden from me. Help me to see them as you do and love them like you do. Fill me afresh with your spirit of joy and peace, and focus my eyes on you. You are worthy of my undying devotion. I pray all of this in the matchless name of Christ, my King. Amen.
11 Reasons Why We “Faint Not”
If you’re tired today, by all means, take a break. Maybe you even need a season of rest. But let it be just that, a season, not a lifetime. Don’t quit loving and serving others. People desperately need Jesus!
In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, the apostle Paul encourages believers to “faint not” in the ministry of reconciliation. (You should find some time to read that chapter today.) From these eighteen verses, I pulled out eleven reasons why we shouldn’t give up on the ministry of reconciliation.
We faint not because:
- We serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who defeated death and is coming back again!
- The truth needs to be spoken.
- The enemy is relentless. He will never stop blinding the minds of the lost. He won’t quit, so we can’t either.
- Jesus never gave up, and His Spirit lives in us.
- We have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, and people are drowning in darkness.
- People need help and hope.
- It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!
- We have received the amazing and all-sufficient grace of God, and need to share it.
- God deserves glory!
- This world is temporary, and there is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory awaiting us.
- There are souls at stake!
2 Corinthians 4:1 KJV – Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
Rest in Jesus When You Get Weary in Well-Doing
The Strong’s Bible Concordance defines weary as “utterly spiritless”. Does that describe you, today? I’ve been there too. Ministry is hard. Life is hard. And sometimes people are difficult, discouraging, and draining. If you’re tempted to abandon the mission, run to the Savior. Rest in His grace, and get renewed and refueled to put your hand back on the plow.
Because when you get weary in well-doing, you have nothing left to give, and trust me, burnout is not a blessed place to be. You want to avoid total exhaustion at all costs, so pace yourself and prioritize time with Jesus so you have His love, mercy, and grace to give to the hurting people He places in your path.
People are counting on you to be faithful to fulfill the ministry committed to you, so be a good steward of the gospel, gifts, and grace of God today!
1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Related to perseverance in ministry:
How to Be a Good and Faithful Steward of God
10 Qualities of a Good Steward
Encouragement to Endure in Ministry
7 Ways out of a Spiritual Slump
5 Steps to Help You Focus and Finish Strong
Free Resources for Spiritual Growth
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Pray With Confidence
Prayer helps us persevere when we get weary in well-doing. If you desire a stronger prayer life, then check out Pray With Confidence. It’s a website for helping women overcome prayer obstacles, and I am one of the regular contributors. Here are some links I think will be a blessing to you:
63 Insightful Bible Verses About Grace
3 Short Prayers for Spiritual Stability
How to Have Peace in the Chaos
Check out the prayer resources, Bible verses, and tough questions tabs as well. There are many great options for your spiritual growth!