Photo by NEOM on Unsplash
Have you ever heard the song “No Sleep ‘till” by the Beastie Boys? Some of us are old enough to remember it from its heyday. Others might remember it from the bridge scene in Secret Life of Pets, or others may know it from its recent use Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and The Super Mario Brothers Movie. Quick side note: I am not encouraging you to go listen to this song; not all of the lyrics are appropriate. But here is the thing: when this song comes on in a movie, it is always a war charge. Impossibilities lie ahead; determination drives the characters; a mission must be accomplished, and they won’t rest until it’s done. What does this have to do with Entermissions? When I think of our missionaries, I can envision them walking out their doors with this music playing in the background. Their front door flies open. Cue music. The impossible task of bringing Christ to the world lies ahead; wind and sun hit their faces, weapons in hand: a Bible and water bottle, maybe a granola bar and Chacos as well. They are walking out to do war and, like the characters in the movies, they face impossibilities that must be met with determination.
But then reality hits. Determination only lasts for so long. So how do they, and we, keep up that determination? Have you ever taken on a new task with high determination, but as time passes, the determination falters and fades? Before you know it, you have stopped that diet, quit that exercise program, left that Bible study in the same place for the past week without touching it, and stopped praying for your neighbors. Loss of determination happens. It’s all well and good to charge into a very particular situation with determination, but when that situation along with our circumstances don’t change, we need perseverance.
In the New Testament, both Galatians 6:9 and 2 Thessalonians 3:13 encourage us to not grow weary in doing good. But telling someone, “Don’t grow weary,” isn’t much help on its own. It’s like when you are really worried, and someone says, “Stop worrying.” That doesn’t actually work. We don’t have the ability in and of ourselves to not grow weary. Left to our own desires and willpower, we can only last for short spurts of time; we need something more. This is where the words of Isaiah come to mind.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
Our weariness is only combated properly when it is given its rightful place under the leadership of the Lord. Youths faint and grow weary, but He does not. He gives power. He increases our strength. He is the everlasting God and Creator of the ends of the earth. It is He who shall renew our strength. We are not called to renew our own strength or cure our own exhaustion. He will do that for us.
If you are walking into your days with a war cry and war paint (or just a cup of much needed caffeine), know you are not alone. You are in good company. For without the strength of the everlasting God we can’t and won’t survive the day. We can stand united with the strength of the Lord. We stand against the opposition that seems to be bent on discouraging and wearing us down at every turn. We see the impossibilities that lie ahead, and we clothe ourselves with the armor of the Lord, so we can walk out the door knowing our God will be the one to carry us.
Maybe we don’t look as cool or even as prepared as the Marvel superheroes, but we will charge ahead nonetheless, and when we see a brother or sister become discouraged, we will pick them up and help them keep going. For our God is one of everlasting strength. He will never grow weary or faint, and He pours His strength and power into the lives of us His children. So cry aloud and pick one another up. And as we lift up those we see on a daily or weekly basis, we must not forget to lift up our brothers and sisters who are in the field seeking to share Christ. Pray for them. Send encouraging notes to them. Let them know that distance from us doesn’t mean that they are alone. They are part of this ragtag team of North Wakers, and we need to encourage them in their work for the Lord.
