Exhausted For Love’s Sake

I had a good talk with my brother Jeff this morning. It had been a while since we talked. Why? Well simply I have been busy but even more the reason was because I was really exhausted. Exhausted from work, school, family activities, active children, even exhausted emotionally. As I take inventory of my time and even the time of us Westerners we are so busy. Our electronic devices doesn’t make us more efficient, it makes us more busy and as we become more technologically savvy and advance I can only see us being even more busy.

This is an anti-technology post. This isn’t a post about slowing down. Actually quite the opposite. This is a post about being exhausted for Love’s sake. I was reading the Gospels and the story of Jesus telling the disciples that He was tired. He had taught, fed, healed, touched, loved and ate with 1000′s if not tens of 1000′s. And His physical body was tired. But read that again. Jesus was tired because He was exhausted from loving others. However, if you look at my list of things that led to my exhaustion, outside of active children, it was really for my own personal gain.

So back to my conversation this morning. It is so funny how God works, during my commute, I meant literally 30 seconds before Jeff’s call I had just said to myself, I am too busy to love others. I am exhausted, to the point where I don’t want to deal with anyone. I don’t want to talk on the phone with anyone, I don’t want to encourage anyone, I don’t want to help anyone. I just want to mind my own business and do my own thing and have my own space and let the chips fall where they may. Not to mention dealing with people is hard and I get NOTHING from it. Read that again. I am tired of having to deal with people and getting nothing from it. At least with school and work I am climbing the corporate ladder, getting promoted, winning my management over, gaining a reputation of excellence. Getting an MBA will only increase my marketability while simultaneously gaining me some notoriety! Right!???

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians about his current state of life (and no I am not saying we have to live like Paul or should aspire, but we can learn from him). He was hungry, tired, naked, threatened, beat all for the Gospel. He had no notoriety, was not climbing the corporate ladder, was not chasing more education or a higher paycheck, actually he says in another letter “I count it all a loss”. Paul once he met Christ decided to forfeit those things I have decided to exhaust myself for them. While he decided to be exhausted for people, I have been exhausted for stuff. Stuff will burn, loving people builds eternal value. I am exhausted for the worthless, Paul, exhausted for the priceless.

I am sorry Lord! This is what spilled from my mouth. Once you make the final commitment to love people to the point of exhaustion (and thus be like our Master) the risk of being used, abandoned (see Paul in prison), taken advantage of, and maybe even the forfeiture of personal aspirations are almost inescapable. The risks greatly outweigh the immediate benefit, and by immediate I mean this life and however long God grants you breath. Such a thought makes me scared, it intimidates me, firstly I don’t want to be used, secondly I don’t want to possibly give us so much of myself. However, if the Gospel is true, and I will be raised from the dead, what does it matter?

I am not talking about reading your bible more, or becoming more invested in religious activities at church. I am talking genuinely putting yourself at risk to love and serve others. That may be a call to someone who gets on your nerves, it may be a dinner with some people who treated you badly recently. It may be to help that person who is a leech or a user (this doesn’t mean allowing them to not do their jobs, or fulfill their obligations). It is that thing pulling at your heart and when the lights are off you know you didn’t do what you were supposed to do because it was uncomfortable. You know what I am talking about, but only you know. I know what it is for me.

Being exhausted is almost inescapable but if we must be tired, if we must stretch ourselves thin, if we must be stressed out, let it be for loving people. As Paul says even our momentary affliction is building a priceless reward for us in heaven. Jesus was tired, why not join Him?