I unsuccessfully attempted to become a runner for a period of time. I got up before the sun and shivered on the way to the gym where I found an empty treadmill. I put in my earbuds and listened to an app that coached me through alternating walking and running to build up endurance and help me to run longer. The voice on the app wouldn’t just tell me when to walk and when to run. At intervals the voice would encourage me. “Halfway there!””You’re doing great!” The app designers recognized that potential athletes would experience fatigue. They might feel like the physical challenge was just too hard, the running time too long. They might want to give up and needed encouragement to keep going. I never became a runner. I really prefer walking, not a leisurely stroll, but a brisk walk. However, while I was running that app helped me to push beyond what I thought I was capable of. I ran longer and farther than I had ever thought possible. I needed the coaching to help me do that, even a virtual one helped. Wouldn’t it be great to have a coach like that for life?

Friend, I don’t know what your challenges are right now, but I know that sometimes you might just get worn out. It might not be that you are facing major problems. You might  just be facing continual smaller problems, Constant pressure from outside situations. Or maybe you have internal struggles that just seem to nag at you, a fear about a family member’s choices, depression that makes every day feel like walking up hill with weights on your ankles. Anxiety about your bank balance versus your bills. We all face challenges of some kind, and there are times when those challenges wear us down more than we realize. You hear an internal voice saying, “I am done! I don’t want to do this anymore.” And you start looking for a way to escape. Dear Friend, don’t quit! There is a light at the end of your tunnel

Do you know that you were made for perfection? Really! When God designed human beings He created them for His perfect world. When sin damaged our relationship with God and our spiritual parents were removed from the Garden, that inner knowing of being made for God’s perfect paradise never left their descendants. The truth is that we humans don’t realize we are always longing for heaven where everything is perfect. Ecclesiastes says that “He has set eternity in our hearts.” Like the needle on a compass that always points north, there is something in us that is always looking toward the perfection of paradise, People long for heaven, whether they realize it or not. That is what we were designed for.

But we don't live in heaven and life is not perfect. There are times it is wearying to live day after day with a level of opposition and resistance, pressure. We pray and see no results. We keep choosing right, but the situation doesn’t change. We are seeking after God, but He seems to be an illusion. Life is hard. That is the fact. And there are times when we all get weary. There are times when every one of us may feel like giving up. We need a voice to come alongside us and say, “Halfway there! You’re doing great! Don’t quit!”

Dear Friend, are you weary? Do you feel like giving up? Let me give you some practical tips to help you keep going. Let me be the voice saying, “Don’t quit!” What. should you do if you are weary and want to quit?

Slow down enough to admit it to yourself. Many times when we are weary we make the situation worse by adding activity to our already full schedule. Sometimes we keep ourselves busy to avoid where we are. Busyness covers up our sadness or disappointment. We keep ourselves busy so that we don’t notice what we are really feeling. If you take some time to sit with your real feelings you may find that underneath it all you are just worn out and weary. Take the time to recognize and acknowledge it.

Once you have admitted it to yourself it’s time to admit it to God. Did He already know? Of course! But the act of admitting it to God is actually an Invitation. When you talk to God about how you are feeling you are inviting HIm into the situation. You acknowledge your weakness so that He can give you His strength. You give up your independence and become dependent on Him. Invite Him into your weariness.

The next step can actuallly be the hardest: Admit it to someone else. We don't like to admit our vulnerabilities. We don’t want others to think that we are weak. They know we are and we know they are. Yet, we try to maintain the illusion that we are all strong, don’t need each other and don’t need God. Talk to a friend or family member, someone you trust. Let them in on how you’ve been feeling. Don’t go through it alone. You can ask them to pray for you or pray together. The key is humbling yourself enough to admit that you need help. You will be surprised how freeing that can be.

Then, my friend, plan a time of rest. It won’t happen if you don’t plan it. You can’t escape from the pressures of life, but you can plan a respite. We have been built for a rhythm of work and rest, but we often work continually and don’t rest. Over time that wears us down and we don’t even notice. Ideally, we should take a weekly day of rest. Not a day off from our jobs so that we can work at home, but a day to rest our bodies, minds and spirits. Make that your goal, but also plan something to take care of you. It may be an hour or two with a friend. Go to a movie. Take a walk. Get a pedicure. Take a one day or half day retreat. Do something that nourishes your body, soul and mind. Do something that allows you to rest from your daily burdens. They won’t disappear, but you will have more energy to deal with them after a time of rest. Do it! You need it more than you know.

Dear Friend, life is a marathon. There are times when it feels like we can’t make it to the finish line. But, look for the water stations along the way. There are planned places along your journey where you can be refreshed.  Listen to those who are cheering for you. Let God’s Spirit lift you. Don’t run the race alone. Don’t quit.

Key Thought: Don’t let weariness win. Don’t quit!

A Scripture to Consider: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES Challenge: Practice some of the practical tips offered in this post. Slow down and admit how your are feeling to yourself, to God and to a trusted person. What will you do in your planned time of rest?

Prayer: Father, I admit it. I have been going and going with no rest. I am weary. I need Your help. Show me how to plan times of rest. Help me to rely on Your strength. I need help from You and from those around me. Amen.