GETTING YOUR SECOND WIND
Getting your second wind refers to experiencing a sudden renewal of energy and endurance after a period of fatigue or exhaustion. This often happens during physical activity, allowing a person to continue moving forward even after becoming tired.
Sometimes, when a person has been involved in a local church for a long period of time, he or she can become so familiar with the responsibilities of ministry that fatigue begins to set in. The excitement begins to fade, the desire to serve decreases, and eventually, the person may find himself or herself performing at a lower level.
Some call it burnout, but I like to think of it as needing a second-wind boost!
Perhaps you have put the ministry of helps on hold. Maybe you have gradually decreased your level of serving, lost your zeal, or no longer feel the same excitement about the part of the ministry God has entrusted to you.
But here is the good news: You can get your second wind! You can get back in the race that is set before you and continue running in the lane God has called you to run.
How do you get your second wind? Get back into the presence of God. Examine your heart, ask for forgiveness where needed, and turn your heart back toward Him. Renew your commitment to the Lord and return to the place where you first began serving Him with excitement and purpose.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
You need that joy! Joy will help strengthen you and give you a fresh boost of spiritual energy. Get back into the joy of the Lord, reset your priorities, reboot your schedule, and make room for God to renew your strength. Expect a fresh awakening of joy, excitement, and desire to serve Him again.
Don't let anyone discourage you. Let joy be the master of your soul!
Paul asked the churches in Galatia a question that we should all consider:
Galatians 4:15 asks, “What has happened to all your joy?”
In other words, what happened to the excitement you once had? What happened to your positive attitude? What happened to the joy you experienced when you first began serving the Lord?
Sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves those same questions. If we have lost our joy, we need to return to the One who is the source of our strength.
Isaiah 40:31 gives us this wonderful promise:
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
God has promised to renew our strength! You may feel tired today, but you do not have to remain in that condition. As you wait upon the Lord and draw near to Him, He can renew your strength and help you keep moving forward.
Jesus is the source of true and lasting joy. If you are not connected to Him, and He is not the Lord of your life, you will miss the fullness of joy that comes from knowing Him. You may experience happiness from time to time, but the lasting joy that sustains you through life's challenges comes from your relationship with Jesus.
Jesus said, “For without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
No matter how you feel today, don't give up! Brighter days are ahead. If you refuse to quit and continue trusting God, you will live to see Him intervene in the affairs of your life. You will see the tide turn in your favor, and you will experience His faithfulness along the way.
So, put one foot in front of the other. Get your second wind and keep moving!
Move on! Hold on! Don't give up on yourself!
We are all runners together in the ministry. We each have a part to play, a lane to run in, and a purpose to fulfill. We need one another, and every person who serves faithfully makes a difference in the body of Christ.
If you have become weary, don't believe that your race is over. Take time to get back into God's presence, rediscover your joy, renew your commitment, and get back in your lane.
It's time to get your second wind!
I just wanted to take a moment to encourage you to stay in your lane, keep your joy, and continue running the race God has set before you. The Lord is not finished with you yet!