Exhausted by Life

by Katie Kringstad

Many times, I have felt exhausted by life. There are seasons throughout our lives where we can feel like success is just making it through the day, and looking at tomorrow, next week or next month can be too much to bear. Sometimes the exhaustion of life just slows everything down into one long fatigue. The kind of exhausted that no amount of sleep can fix, no beautiful sunset can erase and that feels like weights are being poured on top of you making it difficult to escape. Hopelessness can start to creep in, thoughts of, “If this is the way my life is going to always be, I don’t think I can handle it.”

This devotional is for you. God sees you; I see you, and you are not alone. Life will NOT always be like this. The weights and exhaustion you feel are real, however, the day ahead that they will be lifted is real too.

We are all complex people and it can feel like no one will ever understand how you feel, that even amongst your family and friends you’re alone. It can seem like you can’t talk to anyone because you don’t want them to know how you really feel inside, you don’t think anyone could understand or they may think less of you.

That is a LIE, Jesus understands you and is with you. People care about you and want good things for you. There is always hope even in the darkest of times. You are not alone.

The Bible is full of verses that express these feelings that we have. These feelings you are having are not bad, not to be ashamed of and do not make you weak. These feelings have been a part of our human experience since the beginning of time.

Psalm 69:3 says, “I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.”

Psalm 31:9-10, “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow. And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away.”

Unfortunately, we do live in a world that can hurt us. People, finances, health issues all impact our lives and can lead us into dark places. But Jesus is our light; Jesus is the one who will lead you out of the darkness and back into goodness. Jesus is your hope and strength.

If this is a time in your life that just feels awful, I want you to know that this is not the end because Jesus won’t allow it. We hear in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Take heart my friends, God is on your side and will not fail you. God will restore your life to goodness for his glory. You are not alone. You are loved. There is always hope.

Blessings and grace upon you,

Katie Kringstad
Intern Pastor

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