Virtuosity Marriage & Divorce Principles

Fatigue: Refueling for Renewed Service By Venus Mason Theus

Fatigue can make a "nag" of anyone! Nothing goes further to make a woman less able to cope with unruly children, household or job crises and thousands of other mudane irritations. Scripture offers ways for women to reduce fatigue and avoid weariness.

 Support from an understanding husband or close friend helps you handle pressue and stree more effectively. Knowing that someone not only knows about the burden but comes along to help you bear up under the load makes every crisis more tolerable.  Women are refreshed and invigorated by being able to walk away from burdens even if it's just for a few hours. Such time for yourself can provide renewal of energies and revival of spirt and can produce creativity and stimulate productivity.  Women need to guard against over-commitment.

Even good and godly pursuits must be weighed against the purposes of God. You must learn to say "no," determine to slow your frantic pace, resist the temptation to add more and more to your schedule.

Busyness is not necessarily godliness. Perhaps your "R and R" should be Reprioritizing responsibilities and Rethinking free time.

Being tired is a physical affliction. Being weary, on the other hand is a spiritual attitude that results in part from blaming God for your own sinfulness. Life will never free you from fatigue, but fatigue can bring you to the point of setting aside the mundane cares of the world in order to open your heart and soul to the Lord. God can use fatigue to:

1. Cause you to look to Him for satisfaction 2. Administer correct as He pulls back His hand of strength to force you to slow down for refueling, and 3. Prepare you for a greater challenge.

God has promised to satisfy the weary sould and replenish faithfully the sorrowful heart. Sometimes that means "He makes me to lie down". Physical frailties may cause you to miss earthly fun and fellowship, but spirutal resources will enable you to grow stronger on the bed of affliction.

Split Second Bible Lesson: Mary and Martha

Martha's Viewpoint

When we visit friends and relatives we have a good idea of how they think and act. Jesus was no different. He appreciated the differences among His three friends and felt comfortable enough to offer constructive advice as to their priorities.

Martha's outlook on life was quite different from Mary's. It is possible that Martha was older and that her age figured into her personality and perspective. Martha's words and actions depict her as practical and efficient. Nothing is wrong with being practical and efficient if it doesn't interfere with the more important things in life. If it does, it can become a problem. God recorded important examples for us in Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:11), so we can learn from Martha's and Mary's recorded actions.

Mary’s Outlook

"And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word" (verse 39). If one were to read no further, one could assume Mary may have been a little lazy, leaving the needs of hospitality and hostess to her gregarious sister. It was Martha who invited Jesus into their home. It was Mary who simply sat at Jesus' feet, listening to Him talk. Who was the more hospitable, the more sociable? Who was more concerned about serving her Savior, Martha or Mary?

Maybe Mary was shy. But we should consider Jesus' evaluation of Mary's actions. "But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her " (Luke 10:40-42).

In a nutshell, Jesus reminded Martha, the hostess-withthe-mostess, that while He appreciated all that she was doing for Him, she was missing out on things that matter most...The "good part which will not be taken away from her." The key is to value the investment of being still, taking time out to hear from God; to rest the body and to commune with those we love.

©2008 Venus Mason Theus – All Rights Reserved.

Venus Mason Theus is the author of Brown Paper Bag, a novel. She is also the founder and host of the annual Anointed Pen Christian Writers Conferences and the president of the American Christian Writers - Detroit Chapter. Venus' platform of Joyfully-Ever-After Marriage offers hope, healing and assurance that contrary to popular belief, monogamous, joyful marriage is indeed alive and well!

Visit Venus Online, http://authorvenusmasontheus.webs.com/