Here's a good question for you: "What do you do to sustain the weary?" (see Isaiah 50:4). 

Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase The Message, says it like this: "The Master, GOD, has given me a well-taught tongue, so I know how to encourage tired people."  These words in Isaiah were originally meant to convey the role that God's "servant" (Israel) was to have to the nations. Israel was meant to be a steward of God's Word (see Romans 3:2). They (and we today?) failed at that stewardship, so ultimately, the True Vine/Israel who is Jesus (see John 15:1) became the Servant who would encourage tired people with God's words. So, back to my original question: "What do you do to sustain the weary, to encourage tired people?" As a way to answer that question for myself, I'd like to give you a brief word of encouragement if I may!

First, I know you are tired! No, I don't pretend to know exactly how tired you are, but simply being alive in this word is enough to wear one out from time to time.  Plus, it's the end of winter in Michigan, enough to make anyone tired. So, in short, I'm giving you permission to be human, to be tired!

Next, to encourage one another, the best thing we can often do is to not encourage one another to be disciplined or to try harder to be "good" Christians.  Yes, strenuous effort and discipline are required as followers of Jesus, but where do we get the energy for this? May I suggest you meditate, for starters, upon Matthew 11:28-30; I Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:12-13 and Colossians 1:29. What I would leave you with is this: To sustain the weary, to encourage tired people, Come to Jesus, bring others to Jesus.  We can do this with our lives, through prayer, friendship, acts of kindness and compassion, Bible reading, listening, playing, and by just hanging out with friends and family. The Christian life is just that - Jesus' life in and through us. You see, the Christian life is not primarily about Imitation (i.e. "What would Jesus Do?"), but Participation ("What is Jesus Doing?") You see, when we try to imitate Jesus, He is relegated to a celestial cheerleader at best, urging us, "You can do it!" Yet, we so often can't!  But when we respond to the Life of Jesus in us, being nurtured by the gentle and humble One, yoked to Him in relationship as His apprentices, this mystical union (as the Reformers called it) of Jesus in and through us, we experience faith working it's way through love (Galatians 5:6). That's really all that counts. Not how "good" or "bad" we're doing. Asking with a posture of listening "what is Jesus doing?", this brings us to Him.

A final question: "Do you realize how very much He loves you?" Will you rest in His love, stop trying to earn it, or, to understand this love that goes beyond reason (see Ephesians 3:14-19)?" For most of my life, for a number of reasons, I have found it hard to feel the love of God. Oh, I can preach a decent sermon on the love of God for the "world", for you and for others, but to feel that He loves me? - that's been hard.  Yet, as of late, my heart is being turned, even tuned to sing His grace, to feel His love for me (Galatians 2:20).  This makes all the difference in the world! We will never walk with God in gladness, if we only have an idea of His love. If we only agree with a doctrine of God's love, or, a concept of God's love, but are not moved beyond the intellect alone, we will be cold and scared believers. We Must Feel The Love of God in our Hearts.  To live beyond the stage of perpetual tiredness, being weary and wary of church and God Himself, we must be compelled by the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14). If I can encourage you friend: Each day, come to Jesus and bring others to Him. Rest in Him. Sing to Him. Celebrate Him. Believe him. Work for Him. This is the only way to know Life.