Are You Exhausted?

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Are You Exhausted?

And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. —Mark 2:27,28

Are you excessively tired all the time, and even after sleeping? Do you go to doctors, but they cannot find anything wrong with you? You may be experiencing some of the symptoms of burnout. Long periods of overexertion and stress can cause constant fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems, and tension.

Some other signals of burnout are crying, being easily angered, negativity, irritability, depression, cynicism (scornful, mocking of the virtues of others), and bitterness toward others' blessings and even their good health. God established the law of resting on the Sabbath to prevent burnout in our lives. The law of the Sabbath simply says we can work six days; but by the seventh, we need to rest and spend time worshiping God. Even God rested after six days of work. He, of course, never gets tired but gave us this example so we would follow the pattern.

In Exodus 23:10-12, we find that even the land had to rest after six years, and the Israelites were not to sow in it the seventh year. During this rest, everything recovered and prepared for future production. People today are quick to argue that they cannot afford to take a day off, but I say that they cannot afford not to do it. We often hear, "I am too busy to do that. I would never get everything done if I did that."

My answer is, "Then you are too busy and something needs to change in your life." When we are too busy to obey God's ordinances, we will pay the price. Remember, the Bible says we reap only what we sow. If we sow continual stress with no rest to offset it, we will reap the results in our bodies, emotions, and minds.

From the book New Day, New You: 365 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer