For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:16-17
Are you always tired? There may be a good reason for it.
Medical professionals call it “TATT,” which stands for Tired All The Time. Studies across three continents showed that one in every five adults worldwide experience general fatigue.[1] Maybe you’re one of those exhausted ones. You’re looking for work, working a poor-paying job, struggling in a hard relationship, raising young children, or worrying about older ones. Our natural tendency is to relentlessly try to figure out how to solve the problems in our lives and the lives of those that we love. The result is that we end up little gods of our personal worlds. And tired.
The secret to escaping exhaustion in this life is to remember that God is God, and we are not. The Bible book of Colossians gives us a great reminder of who God is. It says, “For through [Christ] God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see… He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (Colossians 1:16-17).
“The way to liberation and rest lies through a decision and a practice,” points out a wise Christian writer. “The decision to release the world and your fate, including your reputation and ‘success,’ into the hands of God. This is not a decision to not act at all…It is rather, a decision concerning how you will act: you will act in dependence on God. You will not take charge of outcomes. You will do your part, of course, but your part will always be chastened by a sense of who is God—not you!”[2]
Tired today? God says, “Call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you” (Jeremiah 29:12 ESV).
[1] Ong, Sandy. “Why Do Some People Feel Tired All the Time?” BBC News, BBC, 25 Jan. 2024, www.bbc.com/future/article/20240125-why-do-some-people-feel-tired-all-the-time#.
[2] Willard, Dallas. “Forward.” Invitation to Solitude and Silence, by Ruth Haley Barton, IVP Books, Downers Grove, IL, 2010, pp. 12.
