Tired of Giving? Here's How to Overcome It!

Do you feel tired from constantly giving? You keep striving to help people, encourage people, love them in many ways, and in the end your energy is completely drained.

Many people call a moment like this burnout, running out of energy. This condition is like a car that keeps being forced to move even though it is almost out of gas. As a result, the car is at risk of breaking down completely.

If you often experience or are currently experiencing this, here are steps you can take to refill your energy:

1. Tired? Refill Your Tank

A car that runs out of fuel cannot be forced to keep going. There is no other way except to fill its gas tank. The same is true for us. When you are tired of giving and begin to feel burnout, your energy tank may be empty. Therefore, you need to fill it again with the right fuel. What fuel is most suitable for us?

That fuel is the word of God. 

The LORD will guide you continually and will satisfy your soul in dry places, and will renew your strength; you will be like a well-watered garden and like a spring whose waters never fail. – Isaiah 58:11 

“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with the one who is crushed and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the crushed.” – Isaiah 57:15b 

When you are weary from so many demands, with so many people you need to love, help, and serve, are you still giving time to God? Are you still having quality quiet time? Do you still have moments with God, speaking with Him heart to heart? Are you letting God refill your strength, encourage you, and make you “alive” again?

Giving is a very good thing. God is very pleased when we have a heart that is willing to give. But what can you give to others if you yourself feel empty? It is like trying to pour water from an empty container. No matter how hard you try, the result will not be optimal, and you will only feel more tired. 

The Lord Jesus Himself gave us an example by taking time very early in the morning to pray (Mark 1:35). Let us follow the example of Jesus, who always took personal time with the Father in the middle of all His busyness. Take time to pray to God early in the morning.

Rebuild your relationship with God. Set aside personal time with Him. Leave aside all your busyness for a moment and your worries. Do not worry, everything will be fine when you pause for a moment.

2. Take Time to Rest

I have a friend with extraordinary zeal. He has a heart that loves to give and is willing to work hard for the kingdom of God. Even at the beginning of the week, his schedule is already full with helping people study the Bible, praying together, talking with brothers and sisters in the congregation, and various other activities. 

However, because his schedule is so packed, my friend often feels exhausted. As a result, he always has to drink coffee while working. In the end, to restore his energy and spirit, he takes time to rest once in a while. Time for himself, not filled with the obligation to do something.

Give yourself what you rightfully need. Rest is not always in the form of sleep, but can also be in the form of me time, such as watching something, reading a book, listening to music, taking a relaxed walk, or whatever you enjoy. Love yourself. If we find it hard to love ourselves, how can we possibly love others?

And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. – Matthew 22:39

3. Give with Compassion

Why do you want to keep giving? Do you see this as an obligation? If so, no wonder you feel tired. Giving with a to-do-list mentality will make it hard for us to do it consistently. 

It is true, God commands us to give, and even more: we need to serve and put others first. Jesus, who is Lord, has already given His example, namely by being born into the world and dying on the cross. In His life as a man, Jesus was willing to wash His disciples’ feet. 

So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you also ought to wash one another’s feet. – John 13:14

… not seeking selfish ambition or empty praise. On the contrary let each of you in humility consider others more important than yourselves – Philippians 2:3 

However, if we view giving as an obligation, it is only a matter of time before you grow weary, and perhaps decide to retire early from giving. 

So, what kind of mindset do we need to have in giving?

Compassion Above Obligation

Then Jesus went around to all the towns and villages; He taught in their synagogues and preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven and healed every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, Jesus was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:35-36 

Feeling tired of giving is normal, but it is not a reason to stop giving. Jesus also felt tired. His days were filled with teaching and healing people from one town to another. However, He did not stop giving when He was tired. Compassion enabled Jesus to keep giving in every situation.

Do you have compassion when you give?

Let us read the continuation of the verse above. Jesus closes this passage with an interesting message:

Then He said to His disciples: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” – Matthew 9:37-38 

This is why God calls you and me. The task of evangelism is a great task, one that requires the involvement of many people. If we are more sensitive to what is happening around us, we will see that there is so much “harvest” before us. As Jesus said, they are weary and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 

As people who know God, when we are tired, we know what to do. When we are down, sad, disappointed, or hurt, we know where to go to find our spirit again.

What about the people out there? They may not know what they should do. They need to be guided. They need your help. However, do not see it as an obligation or a burden. Let compassion be your guide and your encouragement to keep giving. 

If this feeling has not yet arisen in you, ask God for it. Let Him open the eyes of your heart, so that you can see the “lost sheep” and the “harvest ready to be reaped” around you. 

So, are you ready to be His worker?

4. Have a Spiritual Community

Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good habits. – 1 Corinthians 15:33 

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Human beings are social creatures, who need one another. There are times when we are strong and able to give. There are also times when we are weak, tired, and need to be encouraged by others. 

By being in a community that builds you up, you can be yourself and tell what your struggles are. Whether you are having problems, feeling weary, discouraged, or whatever it may be, there are brothers and sisters in faith who can understand and help. It is this community that will always support and keep you faithful in the Lord. 

5. Being Given to and Giving, Create a Balanced Life

After recharging your energy through communication with God, resting, and understanding that we need to give with compassion, you are ready to give again. 

When you are already full but do not give, you will become like the Pharisees, who know a lot but do not do it. You are like the Dead Sea, where no visible animals or plants can live. Its salt content is too high because it receives water from many sources but does not channel it anywhere.

When you are given much, filled, loved, encouraged, and strengthened by God, you need to give back to the world you live in. You need to give back to the world. By doing so, you create a cycle of life and a healthy balance. Being given to and giving. And so on. Constantly giving is not only good and healthy for those who receive, but also for you as the giver.

As Albert Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

It is natural if you have ever felt tired of giving. What matters is that you deal with it right away. Refill your tank with God’s love. Take time to rest or for me time. Fix your mindset about giving. Yes, giving is our obligation as children of God, but how much better it is if it is driven by compassion. Have a spiritual community, where you can share your burdens. And after you are full again, you will be ready to give again. 

Let us keep our spirit for giving alive!

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Source:
www.goodreads.com/quotes/29213-life-is-like-riding-a-bicycle-to-keep-your-balance
blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/fountains-of-life-found-at-the-bottom-of-the-dead-sea/

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