It's Okay To Be Tired

I'm tired. Very, very tired. But happy and motivated at the same time.

Vacation Bible School will do that. It totally wipes out all of my energy, but it also encourages my heart to see hundreds of kids bursting through the doors each day to learn about Jesus. I'll take an energy-zapping day any day for that opportunity!

And, I love, love, love seeing friends step into service and leadership roles to help pull something like VBS together. With 650 kids each day, it's no small task to organize and administrate and facilitate all that needs to happen.

I might be a secret sap at heart, or maybe it's just because I'm tired and that pulls an emotional cord in me, but I had tears at VBS today. I watched friends jump and dance on stage while leading all of us in exciting worship to an awesome Savior. I heard friends teach little ones and demonstrate infinite amounts of patience in the process. I listened to friends pray earnestly that Jesus would work wonders beyond our imagination throughout the week.

All of us have various roles and responsibilities. Sometimes we rate ourselves pretty low on the scale of talents and abilities as it pertains to those roles and responsibilities. But, I wonder, if we really understood what our identity is in Christ - that we are made in His image for His glory - if that would change the way we viewed our roles and responsibilities.

Are you too busy to serve at your VBS? To serve in your church? Maybe you're really not as busy as you think but, instead, just have a low view of your identity in Christ and that reveals itself in your excuse of being too busy. Is Jesus ever too busy to meet you and minister to you?

Are kids not really your thing? Do details and accountability and time lines intimidate you? Chances are it's your misunderstanding of who you are in Christ that is holding you back and not the surface-level fears you think you have.

Are you overwhelmed with how you're going to juggle the routine of your family with the needs of a ministry opportunity? Don't bow out of serving others and loving Jesus because of this. God gives strength to the weary and promises blessing to those who love Him first.

Nope, this isn't a post about guilting you into service at your church. Service happens because you are eager to give and love and share with others because you have a rock-solid confidence of your identity in Christ. You know who you are because of who He is and you can't help but share that with others.

So, it's only Day Two of VBS and I'm tired. And I know a whole lot of friends who are tired as well. But I think it's okay to be tired because it reminds us that our abilities shine when we find rest in God's strength. And resting in God's strength comes only when we first realize that anything we are and anything we hope to be comes from understanding our identity in Him.