Ever notice there’s a couple of kinds of tired?
There’s sick tired, where you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. Your body’s been sapped of all ooomph by little bugs surfing through your bloodstream. Sleep, good food, six glasses of vitamin C water a day, and drugs are the key here. Nyquil is my fave.
Then there’s physical tired. This is a good tired because you’ve earned it—and your pits are stained to prove it. It’s the kind of tired that helps you sleep at night. Eating well and waiting till tomorrow does the trick.
Then there’s emotional tired. You’ve gone through stress or carried it for others, and your inner gas tank is on fumes. Or maybe you’ve been through so much joy that it knocks the stuffing out of you. The key here is to do what restores you. For me, it’s withdrawing, taking off my watch, and exploring or creating. I love just sitting with Jesus and enjoying him.
Then there’s mental tired. I get this after I preach. I can be as articulate as a poet, but when I’m done, I’m DONE. Ask me a simple question after that and I can’t talk right. “Brad, where’s the spray and wash?” “Uh, its in that… thing… thingy.” My vocabulary is all used up. My solution here is to read a book, take a nap, or blow things up in a video game. Worshipping God is refreshing beyond words.
And of course, there’s spiritual tired. This can be a combination of all of the above. The only thing I know that can turn this boat around is hearing the voice of God and receiving from Jesus directly. Because he is, after all, my life. And he usually helps me put down something useless or painful that I’ve been carrying.
Tired isn’t a sin. It’s part of the rhythym of life. But you have to be careful, cause if you don’t take care of yourself, it can turn into things like discouragement, depression, apathy, and a victim attitude.