Doves On Distant Oaks

Broken Tractors

My father was the foreman of a large dairy farm and had a number of proverbs of his own. By far the most interesting one—and one I use even today—was when he came home from work, worn out and weary. He was responsible for keeping the machinery operating. Some nights he would plop down in his favorite chair and simply groan. My mom would ask him what was wrong and he’d reply, “Every tractor on the place was broke.” That's all he said, and all he needed to say. He had said it often enough that the rest of the family knew that it summed up perfectly how he was feeling.

Do you ever come home feeling like every tractor at work was broken? Maybe the boss has piled job after job on your shoulders, equipment (mechanical and technological) is always going down, your co-workers don’t want to work very hard ... and get paid more, no one seems to appreciate what you do. It’s only natural for us to grow weary during those times. We become exhausted physically and mentally.

Sometimes we also become exhausted spiritually. Even though we know we shouldn't, we begin to tire of submitting to the will of God—praying for friends and especially enemies, comforting and loving one another when we need comforting ourselves, waiting faithfully for seeds to come to fruition that only seem to have fallen by the wayside, and providing hope to share with others when we see little value in return. When that happens we have to realize that our value system is off course because we’re doing those things for ourselves ... almost selfishly. When we’re at odds with the Lord, we do so conditionally and follow a path that’s difficult to walk.

When we love one another unconditionally, it’s much easier not to stumble and grow tired. Does that mean we won’t face difficulties? Far from it. Every tractor is going to break down at some point. It's how we deal with them within our hearts is what matters.

When we decide to follow Christ, God begins a work in us. He builds us like a shipbuilder would build a ship. But when the shipbuilder's task is finished, he doesn't stand back and say, "There, now everyone admire it." No, he built it to be seaworthy, and launches it to do its work on the unpredictable and often deadly sea. Those who do good works for Christ do so through God's strength with which he built into us from the moment we turned to Him. When we realize that God has launched us with a great sail—the Holy Spirit. That’s when we truly soar like eagles.

Many find the ability to work a problem unceasingly a measure of success. But none are able to refresh and renew themselves on their own when that problem becomes insurmountable. It’s God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, that gives us the strength to go on when every tractor on the place is broken. That's the true gauge of our success

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

–Isaiah 40:31

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Keywords: Exhaustion, Hope, Seaworthy

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