“Exhausted yet pursuing.”Judges 8:4.
If anything can sum up the life of ministry so simply, this is it. Exhausted yet pursuing. Following Jesus is tiring. Not in the “I want to give up and take a vacation” way, but in the “I think they misunderstood what I said” or the “how can I say this a different way for greater impact” or “Lord, I don’t see the way out but I’m trusting you tonight” or “God, I need you right now” kind of way.
As we pursue the Lord and his call on our life, we find that he takes our 32,000 troops and gives us 300 back. We have to do more with less, often in the middle of the night, without even the comfort of sleep. That’s the way the Lord has ordained it. Not because he likes to see us suffer, but until we come to the end of ourselves, we won’t look to the fullness of Christ.
What we need for ministry is not a stronger tug on our bootstraps on the ground, but the security of the anchor of our soul in heaven (Hebrews 6:19).
We need the power of Christ resting upon us (2 Corinthians 12:9).
We need the fullness of Christ going before us (Romans 15:29).
We need the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).
Because ministry is exhausting, but the pursuit never ends, because God never ends. His mission is worthy wearing ourselves out for. His glory is supreme. His grace is sufficient. His mercy endures. His steadfast love never fails. And as long as he gives us strength we will use it, because this life is for him anyway.
And one day, when it’s all over and we pass into glory, we will enter into the rest of God (Hebrews 4:9).
Until then we will pursue the cause of Christ in this world, and we will exhaust ourselves, because the one whom we follow ended his life on a cross. Ministry isn’t easy, but it is glorious and worthy. Press on, my friends. Press on.