"Worn Out"

A few years ago a survey was done interviewing married couples who had been married from 2 years to 20 years. One interesting statistic gathered from from those interviews was this... Those couples who had been married for 2 years when asked about marriage and their mates talked about the positive attributes of marriage and things they enjoyed and appreciated about their spouse. Those couples who had been married 20 years tended to talk about the negatives of marriage and the things about their spouse they didn't like.

There are probably several lessons we could draw out of these findings but let me give you just one. Time has a way of wearing us down, of changing our perspective, and our outlook if we are not careful. I came across this quote the other day...

"Satan has in fact a plan against the saints of the Most High which is to wear them out. What is meant by this phrase, "wear out"? It has in it the idea of reducing a little this minute, then reducing a little further the next minute. Reduce a little today, reduce a little tomorrow. Thus the wearing out is almost imperceptible; nevertheless, it is a reducing. The wearing down is scarcely an activity of which one is conscious, yet the end result is that there is nothing left. He will take away your prayer life little by little, and cause you to trust God less and less and yourself more and more, a little at a time. He will make you feel somewhat cleverer than before. Step by step, you are misled to rely more on your own gift, and step by step your heart is enticed away from the Lord. Now, were Satan to strike the children of God with great force at one time, they would know exactly how to resist the enemy since they would immediately recognize his work. He uses the method of gradualism to wear down the people of God." -Watchman Nee

Wearing down... what does it look like in our lives as believers, what does it look like in ministry?

• Amazement wears down to amusement
• Rejoicing wears down to routine
• Power wears down to programs
• Conviction wears down to concern
• Devotion wears down to duty
• Relationship wears down to responsibilities
• Affection wears down to activity
• Ministry wears down to methods
• Obedience wears down to obligation
• Holiness wears down to happiness
• Expository Preaching wears down to eloquent persuasion
• Prayer wears down to platitudes
  

We dare not be ignorant of Satan’s devises. He loves to just wear us down little by little, getting our eyes of Christ and His glorious cross little by little and trusting in our own strength and ingenuity more and more to get the Lord's work done. Before long are we're complaining of being just worn out. The joy of serving, witnessing, and worshiping is a distant memory. If that is you may I encourage you with these verses.

Isaiah 40:28-32
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

The devil comes to steal and destroy, Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” The fear of the Lord leads us to life in Jesus Christ. Worn down people need a place to rest. That rest is found in Christ. He invites us to "Come unto me all you labor and are heavy laden,(Worn out) and I will give you rest." Christ does not want us to snore - He wants us to soar.