Too Tired to be Courageous?

1 Chronicles 28:20: "...Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you..."

As a child growing up I idealized the way parents lived. They got to stay up late, they got to eat what they wanted, they got to drive a car and they only made their bed if they wanted to. Life seem easier for parents than kids because they didn't have to follow rules. They got to create them.

And now, 25 years later, with two kids of my own, I no longer long for the days of being an adult with no expectations. In fact, I often find myself recalling the days of my childhood when all I worried about on Saturdays was watching Saturday morning cartoons and making sure that I was home before dark.

Oh how times have changed for me. Most days I am working a 10 to 12 hour day, answering phone calls, attending various meetings and replying to the ever growing list of emails in my inbox. Some days seem like they will never end. And some days, hours after I have locked up my office for the evening I am still working hard to complete my long list of items on my "To Do" list.

There are days when my fuel tank is hovering on empty and my list of tasks is still growing. It is times like these that David's words to Solomon are words of encouragement to me. Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Oh how much we would love for someone to come along and say. Don't worry about finishing the laundry or that cleaning the kitchen can wait one more day.

I try to imagine how David shared these words with Solomon and I always imagine David sitting Solomon down, looking at him square in the face, eye to eye and telling him to "do the work". I can't count the number of times I have looked at my kids as they begin to come up with an excuse and just said those same words that I imagine David saying to Solomon. I also imagine Solomon reacting just they way my own kids do. Their facing grimacing and yes perhaps Solomon even rolled his eyes at David just as my sons roll their eyes at me.

It's the next part that speaks volumes to me. "Do not be afraid or discouraged because the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or foresake you." What a sweet, sweet sound those words have. David looks at his son Solomon and tells him that he is not alone. Fear and discouragement trick us into believing that we are alone but we aren't. Our God is there to lift us up when we are down, carry us when we are weak and nudge us into action when we are too tired to keep on working.

Thank you God for loving us so much that you do not allow us to be idle. Thank you for encouraging us when we are feeling discouraged, for giving us courage when we are afraid and for holding us accountable to you. Amen.