Articles
REVIVING SPIRITUAL FATIGUE
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb. 12:3)
Faith in Christ does not make one immune to spiritual fatigue and faintness of mind. This condition may arise from frustration at our own natures, our inability to love God as we ought to, to pray effectively, to understand the Scriptures, or to bear fruit for Him. We may feel that our best efforts to represent God in our family, school, work or community have been of no avail, and very few show by their lives that our ministry has been effective.
Sometimes we may question why God does not choose to favor all those who follow Him with material blessings and pleasant circumstances; but instead, at times, the wicked prosper. When we look at the tidal wave of evil sweeping our world it can often leave us faint and weary. We regrettably relate to Solomon’s wisdom when he said “I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.” (Ecc. 7:15)
What’s the remedy? The answer to our dilemma is Jesus Christ! Reflection on Him will re-energize even the most discourage saint, for He “endured such hostility [or opposition] by sinners” (Hebrews 12:3), was victorious, and now promises to lead us to similar victory (see Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16, for example). It will help us to persevere if we notice how He endured, “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23), and that He endured it all, not just for Himself or just for His followers, but also for us, who, “while we were enemies [of Christ] we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10).
The so-called “Hall of Fame of Faith” (Hebrews 11) immediately precedes today's verse. Reflection on the testimonies of those faithful and victorious warriors, coupled with our example of Christ, will make our greatest burden seem light and should spur us on to even more effective and sacrificial labor for the Lord. And it is through such labor that we should remind ourselves [daily] that this world is not our home and we are not to get comfortable with being here. We must “rejoice in the Lord always;” Paul emphatically says… “again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4-7)
