“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day”
2 Corinthians 4:16
Have you ever experienced one of those weeks where you were mentally and physically drained? Well, I have! I can recall experiencing an entire week of back to back issues-- recommendations ignored, misinterpretation of words, not to mention a feeling of hopelessness every day when I walked into work, on top of a mound of responsibilities outside of work. I eventually came to the point where if I did not seek spiritual counseling, I was going to mentally crash.
So, I made it a point to speak with my pastor. As I sat down in the chair, I began to close to my eyes and say, “I am so tired.” I said it about two times before I opened my eyes and saw my pastor, with the same warm smile on his face, lean forward, pick up his bible, and simply say “Get back into your word.” My initial thoughts were, “What does getting back into the word have to do with me being so tired?” Well, it had plenty to do with it.
In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul the Apostle, references how we are outwardly wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. When I read this scripture, I began to do self-evaluation regarding my situation. I discovered that I was outwardly wasting away due to experiencing the physical and human side of being tired as stress and time will do to anyone. However, I also discovered that I was not being inwardly renewed. I was wasting away both naturally and spiritually. Instead of coming home from a stressful day of work and spending time with God, I ruminated on how stressful my day was at work and how things should have turned out differently, how individuals should have listened to me, and the list went on. This scripture revealed to me that it is important that as working professionals that we take time out to renew spiritually because it does not profit us to waste away both outwardly and inwardly. We must find time to reconnect with God and disconnect from the stress of life!