Mental Weariness

Consider Him .... lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” — Hebrews xii. 3.

What a strange cure for mental weariness! There is prescribed an increase of thought, “consider Him.” I should have expected an invitation to mental rest. When a man’s body is weary, we send him to sleep. When a man’s mind is weary, why do we not also prescribe repose? Because the weariness of the mind needs an opposite cure from the weariness of the body. The weariness of the body is cured by slumber; but the weariness of the mind can be cured only by stimulus. The cry to a languid body is, “Sleep on now, and take your rest;” the cry to a languid mind is, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.’’ To all who labour in spirit, Christ says, “Come unto me.” He prescribes not a sedative, but an irritant; not more sleep, but more waking. To the man of the weary hand He says, “Cast your cares upon Me;” but to the man of the weary heart he cries, “Take My yoke upon you.”

Lord, it is wings I need for my weariness — love’s wings. That which tires my heart is not its toil, but its inaction. It will never cease to be tired until it can soar — soar to Thee. The burden and heat of my spiritual day is not its work, but its aimlessness; give me an aim, O Lord! Sometimes even the entrance of an earthly friend transforms my soul from languor into light; much more shalt Thou if Thou wilt enter in. I want a new interest to heal my heart’s weariness — some one to live for, some one to work for, some one to wait for, some one to long for. It is my want of longing that makes my want of strength; it is my listlessness that brings my languidness. Create a new heart within me — an eager, beating, bounding heart, a heart vibrating in response to Thy love! Let me feel the passion and the pathos of life, ot Thy life! Let me be taken captive by Thy beauty! Let me catch the spell of Thy loveliness! Let me be thrilled at the sound of Thy footsteps! Let me learn the rapture of hearing Thy name! Let me experience the glow of excitement when the murmur runs round, “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by!” Then shall the weariness of the heart vanish, then shall the languor of the spirit cease; for the liberty of flight is the Sabbath of the soul. Then we shall mount up with wings as eagles; we shall not faint nor be weary.