There has been a spate of media announcements of notable people simply being 'exhausted' with whatever was going on 'around them' and either quit, did something outrageous or some other (stupid) thing.
Talk to a psychologist or a psychiatrist and they will have any number of medical terms for a wide variety of behaviours describing what 'exhausted' might infer.
This is a cursory list – exhaustion - in this sense
- a work associate, a business partnership
- the traffic, accident ahead when in a rush
- house chores, kids not tidying their room
- the car not starting, lawns need mowing
- the garden out of control, people issues
- teacher problems, not enough money
- same old suburb, umpire errors
- being left off the team, being the black sheep
- not popular, illness
- broken leg, sport injuries
- manager drama, sexual harassment
- he/she won't look at you, wedding planning
- pathetic holiday, worst seat in the house
the list is endless
Outcomes
Some of these 'exhaustions' are not associated with life threatening events or people that would make you make a serious decision about moving suburb or city.
Rather they are associated with the frustrations of life whether that be at home, the work place, the social scene and such like. There are ways in which many of these are fixed-up (until next time) and they tend to be what might loosely be referred to as occupational hazards.
But what of those that have been building-up and building-up until anyone of us cane be simply 'exhaustion' and then toss in whatever it is that is creating all this drama.
These are some of the stories I have read about in recent months. Perhaps the reader can identify with some of these.
A Christian minister had it all – or so it seemed – a mega church – a television program – the beautiful wife and family – and all these internal church issues built up and up and up – he was simply 'exhausted' and resigned.
A woman won one of those multi million dollar official Government approved raffles and going from saving up to go to the hair dresser to now - being able to buy 100 hairdresser businesses. It made her life impossible and finished up being so 'exhuasted' …
Someone in the entertainment industry won an award and was so exhausted with the make-believe artificial life style ….
A business partnership was so unhappy that the two people were 'fed up' …
Biblical 'exhaustions'
Genesis to The Revelation recounts situations whereby people were 'exhausted' and did some stupid things.
- Cain, Joseph's brothers
- Moses was and slew an Egyptian, The spies
- David was with Goliath, Saul was and tried to kill David
I could go on and on and on with such Old Testament examples. The same applies to the New Testament and without another long list, we might consider - Jesus' retort to the disciples about not believing, the apostles at Gate Beautiful responding they didn't have silver or gold and on and on ...
Biblical announcements
There are many counter measure words that summarisers how the Bible speaks of these issues and worthy of our attention.
- Contentment, Balance
- Commitment, Challenge
- Determined, Accountability
- Forgiveness, Grace
- Trust, Prayer
The bible holds in balance this idea of forgiveness and that of accountability. A business partner might steal, the other partner forgives, but is still held accountable to the law. Yes, there are cases of being 'exhaustion' and acting in-advisedly.
Sometimes being 'exhausted' produces a right outcome, drop out and take a rest and start fresh somewhere else. There is a great deal in the bible about respite. Even the great C19th preacher Charles Haddon Spurgon had a retreat house in France. There is a 'reality case' for being 'exhausted' and getting out of there.
Laguna Quays Respite cottage for missionaries on the Whitsundays is precisely for this purpose. In ministry and need a rest – timeout@bushorchetra.com
Being 'exhausted' is part of the rich travesty of life – there is no magic wand, rather there is a wealth of good advice found in the Bible how people found relief and set their batteries on charge to continue on and on and on.
Dr Mark Tronson - a 4 min video
Chairman – Well-Being Australia
Baptist Minister 45 years
- 1984 - Australian cricket team chaplain 17 years (Ret)
- 2001 - Life After Cricket (18 years Ret)
- 2009 - Olympic Ministry Medal – presented by Carl Lewis
- 2019 - The Gutenberg - (ARPA Christian Media premier award)
Gutenberg video - 2min 14sec
Married to Delma for 45 years with 4 children and 6 grand children