Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.[1] Jesus Christ
Weariness has become epidemic in America. The mental and physical exhaustion being suffered is evident on the faces of a great number of people nearly every day. Webster’s Dictionary defines weariness as: The state of being weary or tired; that lassitude or exhaustion of strength which is induced by labor; fatigue.[2]
Lassitude as used by Webster in the definition of weariness above means: uneasiness proceeding from continued waiting, disappointed expectation or exhausted patience, or from other cause.[3]
When I read “or from other cause” I paused. Certainly, unfulfilled expectations can weary you, as can unexpected events that bring with them negative results. Patience can be exhausted resulting in weariness and depleted strength or stamina to continue to persevere while waiting for a desired outcome.
However, when I read “or from other cause” my mind went immediately to weariness of the soul. What I see happening today in America especially in the individual lives of Christians is weariness of the soul.