It’s hard to think straight when we’re exhausted. And we’re more prone to make costly mistakes when we do. Instead of rightly discerning God’s calling for our life we become vulnerable to listening to the cunning lies of the evil one.
There was a reason the devil tempted Jesus after his 40 days of fasting. Being famished makes us vulnerable in the same way being exhausted does. But Jesus was prepared and resisted the tempter’s schemes with the very word of God.
This was not the case in the children’s fairytale of the Gingerbread Boy. Of course, the case can be made that it was pride that ultimately led to his downfall. As he successfully kept outrunning everyone, he thought of himself as untouchable, which led to an inflated sense of self-confidence. But he was also tired and exhausted by the time the sly fox came along. And whatever wits he had to stay alive before was now dulled. He could no longer discern the danger behind the fox’s very reasonable suggestions.
This is our risk as well when we’re always on the go, desperate, and never take time to rest and be filled with God’s presence.
For instance, being tired of uncertainty and waiting, we take a job because it pays well, only later to wonder why we feel so dead inside. Or in the name of peace we withdraw and shut down in our marriage only to find ourselves living as roommates later. We might also be tempted to “just take the edge off” through our guilty pleasures without realizing just how much these habits have become a stronghold in our life.
The devil, like the fox, says many true things that sound reasonable. And we might be fooled by their half-truths when we’re too exhausted to think straight. Like Jesus, we must know who we are and learn to follow the Spirit in everything we do – submitting to his voice even when we’re otherwise empty.
In the end, don’t let exhaustion cause you to listen to the wrong voice. Learn God’s voice beforehand and rest when you can to keep making the next best choice.
Photo generated via ChatGPT
