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The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

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‘God…told His people…"Let the weary rest."’ Isaiah 28:12 NLT

 

Ruth Barton coined the phrase ‘dangerous tiredness’. Its symptoms include:

(1) Irritability/hypersensitivity. Things that wouldn’t normally bother you, like a motorist cutting you off or a friend’s annoying habits, put you on edge.

(2) Restlessness. A vague sense something isn’t right…you feel like running away…you’re exhausted but can’t sleep.

(3) Compulsive overworking. Checking emails late into the night…the inability to unplug completely and go on holiday…struggling to enjoy uninterrupted family time.

(4) Emotional numbness. You don’t ‘feel’ anything, good or bad, and you’re afraid if you did you’d be overwhelmed.

(5) Escapist Behaviour. Compulsive eating, drinking, overspending, watching TV, pornography, surfing the internet. You lack the will to exercise, connect with friends, pursue a hobby, or read a good book. Feeling disconnected from your calling. You go through the motions, missing a sense of who you are and what God called you to do. You’re at the mercy of people’s expectations and your own inner compulsions. You’ve no internal plumbline against which to measure these demands. Neglecting yourself physically. You’ve no time to eat right, take a walk, get enough sleep and do everyday things like washing the car or picking up the laundry.

(6) Hoarding your energy. You fear people will drain the last of your resources, so you withdraw to conserve what you have left. Letting your spiritual habits slip. Things that normally energise you and are good for you, like praying, reading, keeping a diary and self–examination, feel like burdens. If any of this sounds familiar, chances are you’ve hit a wall. It’s time to pay attention, pray, and reorder your priorities.

Soulfood: Lev 8-10, Luke 1:39-56, Ps 42:1-5, Prov 1:20-23

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2015

The Word for Today

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