They That Wait

Have you ever felt like you’ve just been running, but you can’t seem to catch up? And then suddenly felt like you’ve hit a brick wall and can’t go another inch? I recently experienced that same feeling of overwhelming exhaustion—being totally depleted. Essentially, I had emptied the tank.

It became clear that something needed to change after I came home from work one day in a terrible mood, frustrated by a situation I simply could not resolve. I had been on the phone with a customer service representative for over an hour on my drive home, with no solution in sight. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. When I finally made it home, I went through the routine of caring for my family, all while carrying a very unpleasant attitude.

Then my two-year-old looked at me from his highchair and asked, “Mama, what’s wrong?” He knew I wasn’t myself and that I wasn’t treating him the way I normally do. I say all of this to say: in that state, we can’t truly offer anything to anyone because we have nothing left to give. I couldn’t nurture my child with the attention he needed because I was completely spent. I had reached the point where I could do nothing but cry out to the Lord for help. It had all become too much.

While this is an unhealthy place to be in general, it is especially not a good place to be as a servant of the Lord and a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We always want to be in a position where we are available for Him to use us to carry out His perfect will. But in this state, we are not at peace—and not even in a position to hear from Him.

After I cried out to the Lord, Galatians 6:9 came to mind: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” As I sat and meditated on this, I began to realize there is a deeper understanding of what the Lord is saying. My initial interpretation of this scripture was simply to not give up—to keep pushing through until the breakthrough comes. But as I looked at the definition of weary, meaning 'reluctant to see or experience any more', or 'showing extreme tiredness due to excessive exertion'—it became clear that this is not a state the Lord desires for us to live in.

He isn’t telling us to override signs of exhaustion for the sake of reaping. I know this is true this because Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Yes, serving and putting boots on the ground takes energy, but the Lord is calling us to remain before Him—to consistently wait on Him—so that we are renewed and do not grow weary.

Psalm 27:14 also reminds us, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” To walk out the life the Lord has called us to, we need strength—and that strength comes from waiting on Him. Psalm 46:10 further tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This tells me that taking a break and sitting at the Lord’s feet is not optional, it is absolutely necessary.

That feeling of “I need a vacation” is valid. Just like a computer, we sometimes need a hard reset in order to operate at optimal capacity. And this brings me to Martha and Mary. Martha was busy trying to serve the Lord, preoccupied with many things, while Mary chose to sit at His feet and receive His words. Mary was at peace, unconcerned with earthly distractions, and Jesus said she had chosen the better part.

So, in conclusion, SIT DOWN! Let’s wait on the Lord.

Be Blessed,

Ashley Price