Overcoming Spiritual Fatigue

Physical Limits

As human beings we are physical creatures who succumb to the limitations of physical existence. We must have water and sustenance in order to subsist and continue living. We must take rest in order to regenerate our physical strength or risk collapse. The fatigue which comes from large amounts of physical activity is natural and necessary; it is a warning that our bodies need rest. While this is natural for our physical body, can this same concept be applied to our spiritual self as well?

A Loss of Energy

When first becoming a Christian, most converts are full of enthusiasm and “spiritual energy”. Some of this energy comes from the newness of the choice, while some of this energy comes from wanting to make the very best of our choice to follow Christ. However, in time this energy will begin to wane.

Ironically, it is not necessarily personal tragedy or another major event that might derail one’s path that leads to the greatest spiritual fatigue. For many, it is simply the passage of time and doing the “same” things again and again. It can become easy after several years, for instance, to lose the excitement that comes with Sunday worship because it has become “commonplace.” After working with a particular church project or assisting in some way repeatedly for long periods of time there is the danger of “burn out”.

In time, if that original energy is not tapped, and our spiritual self is not allowed to regenerate, we can become spiritually fatigued. Like Ephesus we might even lose our “first love” (Rev. 2:4, NASU). But, overcoming spiritual fatigue requires only finding once again that energy that once animated our spirit so strongly. Unlike physical fatigue which requires actual physical rest, spiritual fatigue requires only a refocusing of our mind.

Overcoming Fatigue

When we look upon worship with the excitement of having the opportunity to praise God, we will overcome such fatigue. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper with all the seriousness and commitment as the day we were immersed into Christ, we will overcome such fatigue. When we remember that “church” is not something we “do” but something we are a part of, we will overcome such fatigue. When the spirit is “fresh” and full of energy, so too will be your walk with Christ.