Not sure about you, but daylight savings time just ended where I live. Winter is on the way, bringing chilly weather and shorter days.
As I write, a lot of people are feeling a little down or depleted. Students are getting worn down from a long semester and dreaming of holiday breaks. Parents are weary under the weight of helping with homework assignments and serving as personal chauffeur for the kids. (Not to mention those of you who homeschool: serious gold star.) And holiday shopping is about to become a full-time job.
Personally, I’ve been feeling a little sloggy. Not awful, just kind of weary, and having to fight a little harder to stay engaged with God and others.
Wherever you are, it’s easy to go on autopilot and check out as the year starts to wind down. To just get through these last few weeks before Thanksgiving. (Not that the holidays are free of their own challenges!)
In this post, I want to encourage you – and myself – to stay engaged: with God, with others and the calling he’s given you. However slow or tiring it may be at the moment.
Jesus Understands What You’re Going Through
The good news is that this time of year generally isn’t a time for taking on something new. Instead, it’s a time to simply stay faithful to the Lord, and, the people and priorities he’s already given you. There’s something restful about that.
At the risk of being overly dramatic, Jesus sets a great example for us in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Luke 22:39-46), just before he was about to go to the cross. Obviously, there are many significant differences between his circumstances and ours, but there are certain similarities, too. Jesus gets whatever you’re facing right now.
- He didn’t want to face what was in front of him. (Verse 42: ‘If you are willing, remove this cup from me’.)
- He felt overwhelmed. (Verse 44: ‘And being in agony… his sweat became like great drops of blood’.)
- He was tempted to look beyond the cost of accomplishing his vision (saving us through his death) to better times ahead. When he would be with his Father again. Who could blame him if he became disengaged and self-focused?
I’m so grateful he didn’t check out like I would have. Instead, he gave us an amazing example that reminds us to stay present, and give to those around us, no matter what season we’re in.
Jesus Shows Us How To Stay Engaged
Let’s reverse-engineer his example, and ask a few questions, to reflect on how we can keep serving with joy until it’s time for a break.
- He turned to his Father in prayer first. (Verse 41: ‘He knelt down and prayed’.) When you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or apathetic, where do you typically turn first?
- Because he trusted God, he was able to care for – and lead – others, even though he was struggling. (Verses 40 & 46: he reminded the disciples to pray so that they would not fall into temptation.) If your trust in God grew, how would it enable you to lead and love the people around you better?
- He asked for help. In Matthew’s version of the account (26:36-46), Jesus asked his closest friends, the disciples, for help: ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ If you’re the kind of person who takes on too much, where could you ask others for help to share the load more evenly? Or, if you’ve been a bit disengaged, how could you step up and help more?
The best part of the passage is that God responds to Jesus’ desperate prayer. ‘And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him’ (Luke 22:43). It didn’t remove the struggle or the cross, but God gave him grace for the next moment.
Because Jesus engaged with God and his calling, you and I have the Holy Spirit. We can continue loving God and others ‘according to the riches of his glory’… and ‘be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being’ (Ephesians 3:16).
Try This
If you feel like you need to re-engage, here are some simple ideas that may help.
- Be honest. Jesus’ grace gives us the courage to admit we’ve pulled back. If you need to, admit to God and others that you haven’t been present.
- Pray for God’s renewing power. Claim promises like Ephesians 3:16 for your own situation, asking God to give you strength to stay engaged with him and others.
- Do it together, in community. It’s so much easier to stay present and engaged when we do it in community, so enlist your family, friends or whoever will listen in finishing the year strong. Who can you lean on?
What other ideas do you have?
If we’re feeling a little (or lot) down and unmotivated, there’s hope. If we’ll turn to God honestly, trust him with the little faith we have, and ask for help, God will be faithful to his promises. Not that our situation will necessarily turn around, but we can finish the year strong, engaged and present in Christ.
Questions for reflection:
- Where are you struggling to be present and engaged right now?
- Based on the ideas from Jesus’ example above, what 1-2 steps would help you in that struggle?
- Find a promise, like Ephesians 3:16, that speaks to you and applies to your situation. Pray through it at least once a day.