ArcaMax

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I am a hard and responsible worker. People depend on me and trust me to get the job done. I am a Christian and I know that people are watching how I react and respond in different situations, but carrying this weight of always being available to others is dragging me down. Instead of being lighthearted like I once was, I often find myself in irritable moods and nervous inside. How can I change without disappointing others? -- D.R.

A: Becoming physically rundown and in a state of nervous exhaustion is not only bad for a person's health, it also suggests that a person is not making time for the Lord. He tells us to cast our burdens on Him. He tells us that He will carry our load. He tells us to not fret but to rest in Him (see Psalm 37:7).

That may seem easier to say than to do, but this is a command from our Lord. Also remember that Christians have a duty to keep themselves as fit as possible, spiritually and physically. We cannot be the best for God when we drive ourselves to the point of dropping with fatigue, then snapping.

When the apostles returned from their first preaching tour, Jesus told them to "rest a while" (Mark 6:31). He recognized that they had bodies as well as souls. He knew their need of rest if they were to be of further service to Him. The deeper lesson for them was to understand their need to spend time in communion with Him each day. We mustn't miss this vital truth. We should strive to please the Lord, not man. Power from the Lord comes from reading His word and communing with Him. Nothing so restores mental equilibrium as regular, daily prayer.

========

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2018 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.