I'm Tired!

Have you ever wondered how investing in your relationship with God can transform your life? Join me, Monique Simmons, as I share my personal journey of daily devotional time and how it has profoundly fortified my faith. By prioritizing our bond with God, we can weather life's storms with greater resilience and trust in His plan. This episode is a candid exploration of how making our spiritual relationship a priority, especially during tough times, can lead to a deeper, more fulfilling faith experience.

Discover the enduring power of Second Corinthians 12:9-10 as we delve into its impact on my 14-year Christian journey. Reflecting on a recent prayer vision board session, I recount how this scripture, which reassures us that "My grace is sufficient for you," has been a beacon of strength during my most challenging moments. This current season of my life being one of them. Listen as I open up about the exhaustion of constantly being strong, doing what's best for others and managing health issues, and find solace in the sustaining power of divine grace. This episode serves as a heartfelt reminder of the unshakeable support we find in faith and God's word during life's trials.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

what's up guys? Welcome to demo with mo. I'm your host, monique simmons. We'll be discussing dating, engaged and married objectives from a young christian's perspective. Are you guys ready? Let's dive in. Hey, what's up guys? Welcome to a new episode of Demo with Mo. I am your host, monique Simmons. If this is your first time here, I'm so glad you've landed yourself on Demo with Mo and I'm glad to have you join us. And what an episode to join. And if you have been rocking with me for a while, thank you so much. Thank you for being a part of this community. I appreciate you. Just to get some business out of the way, remember to follow me on TikTok and Facebook at Demo With Mo and on Instagram at Demo With Mo Podcast. Join our Facebook community Dating, engaged and Married Objectives. Join our Facebook community Dating, engaged and Married Objectives Rate, review and subscribe. Wherever you listen to podcasts, it helps other people find this podcast as well.

Speaker 1: 1:14

We're going to go ahead and jump into today's episode. Today's going to be a little different. It's going to be a little different, and I do want to say, as we get ready to jump into this, this is going to be a little vulnerable for me. This episode is a little different. A little different. I went back and forth about what I wanted to discuss on this week's episode and I knew today's topic is what I needed to talk about, because I literally fought and I don't mean a literal fight, but there was a battle for me on what I wanted to talk about up until this morning during my devotional time. So, for those of you who are new, I have devotional time every morning. We'll have my alone time with God where I read my scripture and it doesn't have to be anything long, but it just whatever my scripture is for that morning and I have my prayer time with God and I do this every morning before everyone in my house gets up. This is just intentional set aside time for God and I've been doing this since 2020, when the pandemic hit, and it's just something I wanted to do to grow my relationship with him Again, intentional, it was purposeful and it has hugely impacted my walk with God and it was like it wasn't like, because God is sovereign, he knows all things that I was going to be coming up against in all the years ahead leading up until now. It prepared me for what I was getting ready to experience that investment into my relationship with him. It prepared me.

Speaker 1: 3:19

Sometimes, when we're walking with God as believers, when we're walking with God as believers, we take him for granted. You know, we treat him like that girlfriend, a boyfriend or even a spouse where we've been with them for a while and they're not the priority anymore. We let other things get in the way Our kids, our jobs, our hobbies, our passions, everything else and it's like I'm going to make time for them. You know. I know they know I love them, even though I'm not doing the things that I used to do to show them that I love them, or intentionally putting time in to make sure that they feel that I love them, or even knowing the things that they require of me in this relationship. Because God has commandments. God lays out things in his word that he tells us to do in this relationship and it's just like that romantic relationship. Your partner has requirements, they have boundaries, they have things that they want and desire from you for that relationship to be a relationship, and sometimes we treat God like that where we, where we, when we get in trouble, when things aren't looking good.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Now I want to call in, I want to talk to him Now I want to seek him and I want to get in his word. Now I want to call in, I want to talk to him. Now I want to seek him and I want to get in his word and I want to get close to him when I need him, just like that partner that you've been neglecting, when things get bad. Now I want to dial in. Now I want to begin to prioritize. Now I want to spend time with you and now I want to begin to date you and do all the things that I should have been doing all this time.

Speaker 1: 5:05

So when trouble does come up because even when you're in a good marriage or a good relationship trouble is going to come up, hard times is going to come up, but when those things do come up, it won't hit you as hard. It won't make such an impact, a negative impact. If you've already been invested in a relationship, you guys can be able to handle the tough times together, and it's just like that in your relationship with Christ. If you've already been building an intimate, close relationship, lord, have mercy. When things come up, when life happens, when the storms are raging, it won't hit you as hard, the impact won't be so negative, because you and God are already in this thing together. You already know he's going to work it out for you. I'm in this storm. Yeah, life is hard, but I know my God is going to see me through this. I know he's going to take care of me. I know he's going to provide for me. I know I'm going to have peace in the midst of this. I know it looks like it's all falling apart, but even in the midst of it all falling apart, I know in the end it's going to work out for my good, because I've already been in my word and I know that's what Romans 8 and 28 tells me. And it's like you've already been making this investment in your relationship.

Speaker 1: 6:27

So you know your partner, you know your God. You don't have to wonder when bad things come up, when hard times come up. You don't have to be unsure about what God is going to do or who he is. You don't have to be unsure when it comes to God because you know him. You've been spending time with him. You know his character, you know his strength, you know his power, you know he's holy, you know he's righteous. You know these things about him. It's just like your partner or your spouse, if you've been investing in your relationship, is just like your partner or your spouse If you've been investing in your relationship.

Speaker 1: 7:06

You know them. You know they gonna ride for you. You know they gonna have your back. You know they gonna stand 10 toes down for you, no matter who come against you your family, anybody, it don't matter who it is. When the money ain't right, when they fire you or lay you off on your job, you know your partner got your back. You know they gonna hold it down until something else come through with another job. It's because you've been investing in a relationship and you know your partner. You don't have to wonder. But if you haven't been investing, if you haven't been prioritizing, if you don't really know them, you only going by what they, who they used to be, what it used to be like. Now, when things get shaky, you don't know. You don't know where we stand in this relationship. I don't know if they stand 10 toes down for me anymore or not. I don't know if they will ride for me if I lose my job. I don't know they could walk away me. If I lose my job, I don't know they could walk away from it all they could leave me, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 8:12

So, yeah, I wasn't even expecting to say all of that, but I said all that to say I have my devotional time and I intentionally did that and this is every day, and this is not something that I do to follow any rules or any laws or any traditions or anything. This is something I personally desire to do because I love him and I want to spend time with him and I want to get to know him and I want him to know me and I just want to talk to him and be with him. And you ever love somebody and you just want to be close to them and you want to know them and you just want to be with them. And the more you get to know them, the more you love them and experience them in a real way, not on a surface level way. I don't like on a surface level relationships and I'm sure you guys have heard me talk about that before and if you got to know my girlfriends or my husband, they all tell you the same thing. Monique does not like on the surface conversations or relationships. I just some people can do it and they're fine with it. No, not to them. I'm just I like to. I like to go a little deeper and that's how I feel like in my relationship with Christ. I just in starting in 2020, when I committed to that I just got to go deeper with him and I got past the on the surface.

Speaker 1: 9:37

So today's topic I'm tired. I am tired and stay with me. Stay with me because we're going somewhere with this. I am tired. I told you guys I've been making this investment the last few years, but I had no idea the things that I was going to come up against in the last few years or the things that were going to happen in my life and the transition that I was going to have to make, and just life mean life and life for a believer. But I'm tired.

Speaker 1: 10:20

So I'm in individual therapy, which you guys know, and I'm in couples therapy with my husband, and I wanted to talk about this today, about being tired, and I told you guys, when I opened up, I struggled if I wanted to do this episode or not. That's how we got to the devotional time. Okay, doing my devotional this morning. This is when I made up my mind, because God led me here. I told y'all some things I talk about because I know it'll help people. But there are some things I talk about because I know God is leading me to talk about it, even though I'm not always comfortable talking about it. But I talk about it because I know that's what he wants me to talk about and this is one of those things.

Speaker 1: 11:16

A few days ago, I had a session and it was a hard session. It really was session and it was a hard session. It really was. My therapist said something and she was right about some things that I'm dealing with and she told me that I was, I was hurt and I am, and I struggled with that, with her saying that for a minute, because a lot of different reasons, a lot of different reasons, but I, I struggled with her saying that, but she was right, because I am hurt and it was just the fact of me acknowledging that I am hurt and saying it out loud. I struggled, I mean really struggled with that and I know for some people that's easy, but I struggled with it. That's easy, but I struggled with it.

Speaker 1: 12:26

So my girlfriends and I last month got together and we made affirmation jars together, each one of us. We wrote affirmations for ourselves, we wrote affirmations for one another and we shared um, we couldn't look at them and we bought them up, folded them up and put them in each other's jars and whenever we have a hard day or difficult day, or we're going through something, or just you know we need a pick me up or whatever we need to be encouraged, we can pull it from the affirmation jar. Okay, so that day I pulled out one of my affirmations and I really have to pull for my affirmation jar because, y'all, I really rarely have bad days. I just, I really do. I just really have bad days. I am a I am what you would call a glass half full person. I see life through that kind of lens where I always try to see the good. That's how people in my life know me, know me, would describe me, describe me. So this day it was a rough day and I pulled the affirmation out, the jar, and the affirmation said my grace is sufficient for you, god, like signed God. Okay, and this is important because second corinthians 12, 9 and 10, which is written by paul, the apostle paul we're going to get into that in just a moment but god told him his grace is sufficient for him.

Speaker 1: 14:15

It's my favorite scripture in the whole bible and it's gotten me through a lot on my christian journey the last 14 years. I mean a whole lot. It's gotten me through a lot on my Christian journey the last 14 years. I mean a whole lot. It's been my favorite scripture probably since the first two years I was a Christian because God has walked with me, with that grace I mean. He's carried me through a lot of things and my girlfriends know that. So one of my girlfriends put that in the jar, so I kept it on my table where I do my devotional time. So this was a few days ago.

Speaker 1: 14:50

So this morning I was praying and as I was praying I I went, I saw the affirmation and I said let me go read this, let me go read this, and I went and read it and after I read it, um, at the beginning of the year my girlfriends and I did a prayer vision board and I looked at that prayer vision board after I got and I have scriptures all over my prayer vision board and the scripture that I pulled from it as I was looking at it, the one that I pulled said my grace is sufficient for you. Second Corinthians, 12, 9 through 10. And I'm like, okay, god, okay, okay, I get the memo here, I got you, I get the memo here, okay. So that's what led me to. This is what we're going to talk about today Me being tired, okay, and this is not for Monique being tired.

Speaker 1: 16:01

Even though Monique is tired, I am tired. I am tired of being strong, and this is why this verse is so important, which we're going to get into. I'm tired of being strong. I'm tired of holding it together for everyone else. I am tired of having to be the one who makes it right. I am tired of being the one who has to have compassion. I am tired of being the one. I'm just tired. I'm tired because I have health issues going on. I am tired because my kids have things going on. I am tired because my husband has things going on. I am tired because of family issues. I am tired because there are so many things happening at once. I am tired because everyone thinks, because I carry everything so well, that she'll be fine. I am tired that I have to be the mature one all the time. I am tired. I am tired, and I say all these things because I've had so many people to reach out to me over the years from doing this podcast and having a relationship community of people venting or reaching out for advice or just wanting to have someone to talk to or someone to share with. People are tired, people are going through, people are hurting, people need hope, people desire joy, people want relationships to work. People want things in their families to work out. Relationships hurt, people want things in their families to work out and sometimes, when people see me. That's why I talk about so many different things on the podcast and I try to be as transparent as I can, as I can, because I'm not ever going to. This is not that type of type of podcast and that's not who I am as a person, where I'm putting all my business out there or or oversharing with the world. That's just. That's not what this is, um, but I try to be as transparent and as real as I can be, especially with me being a Christian. I don't ever want it to be portrayed because you are a Christian, you are a child of God, you have a relationship with God, that you don't go through, that you don't suffer, that there will not be difficult and hard days, because there will be, and scripture tells us that in our suffering is with a purpose, it's not in vain. So let's go ahead and jump into these verses, because I want you to also be encouraged, because, even though I am tired, what I'm saying to you now how I was feeling, I took those exact feelings, because it's one thing to say these things and to go to a friend or someone you love your partner, your spouse, a family member, even to your therapist. Because you know how I feel about therapy. I encourage therapy, I tell people I love Jesus and I love my therapist. But even if you're going to do those things, it's one thing to do those things, but you need to go to God first, because that's where your hope comes from, that's where your joy comes from, that's where your peace comes from, that's where your help comes from. Those other things are resources, but he is the source. So, after I had my time and working through my feelings and how I was feeling and talking to my therapist and all of those things, I went to God and I told him exactly how I felt and that's how we got to this episode today, because I told you I was wrestling with what I wanted to talk about. And that's how we got to this episode today, because that's when he led me back to my favorite scripture. He took me back to the foundation, back to the basics, and reminded me why that was my favorite scripture in the first place, because this is not my first rodeo, this is not the first time on this Christian journey where I've gotten tired, and this is not the kind of tired where you can go to sleep and take a nap and feel better and feel rested, not that kind of tired, tired, where you need rest, and that rest is found in him. I don't know about you, but that rest for me, that I need, that rest, is found in him. And when I got done, I felt so much lighter and it ain't over, it ain't over. It's not that I'm not now, I'm now not tired, that's not what I'm saying but I felt so much better, I felt lighter than when I felt before I went to him, because things begin to get overwhelming, because life, life and there are so many things that I'm not saying but I don't have to say because you understand life. Whoever you are, whoever you are, that is listening to this. Wherever you are, whoever you are, that is listening to this. All of us have experienced something or are experiencing things that are hard and can be overwhelming, and can be life-changing and just hard. And sometimes you get tired. Even the best of us who are walking with God and talking to God every day you can get tired, but I'm grateful for a Savior who understands. So I want to give you these verses that helped me. So the first one is 2 Corinthians 12. And we're going to start at verse 7. But I encourage you to go back and start at verse 1. Just context is very important when it comes to reading the Bible. Don't ever read one or two verses and expect to completely understand what the writer meant, what God was trying to portray or get you to understand. I always need to read for clarity, for understanding, to get the context of what you're reading. Second Corinthians 12, starting at verse nine. I'm sorry I'm starting at verse seven. I will say this because these experiences I had were so tremendous. God was afraid I might be puffed up by them. So I was given a physical condition which has been a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and prick my pride Three different times. I begged God to make me well again. Y'all hear Paul Three different times. He begged God to take this thorn from him and I'm sure some of you, just like myself, have asked God, god, take this away. I don't want to keep going through this. I don't want to keep suffering through this. Take this away. It could be sickness, it could be a family member you having problems with it, could be trouble on your job, trouble with your child, and I love that Paul never gave exactly what it was, because if he did, you may think it don't concern you, it don't deal with you, it don't fit your box, but he never gave what the thorn was. So just put whatever it is. When you read this, put whatever your thorn is, make it personal for you. You know what that is. Whatever it is, you've been asking God to remove this from you, take me out of this, but God hasn't taken you out of it yet. That could be your thorn. Each time he said no, but I am with you. That is all you need. And I do want to let you guys know I am reading the Living Bible translation. Depending on what translation you read this verse, well, all verses will read differently, but from the Living Bible Translation, this is what it says, but in the King James Version it says my grace is sufficient for you, which is actually my favorite way to read this. Depending on what verse I'm looking at, I jump to a different translation because some verses or some scriptures I prefer the King James Version translation or even the NIV. But I like my Living Bible because it just helps me understand verses more. It breaks it down a little more and this is a personal preference for you. But he says my power shows up best in weak people. Lord, have mercy y'all. Remember when I said I'm tired, and one of the I'm tired was I'm tired of being strong. That's the problem. I should not was I'm tired of being strong. That's the problem. I should not be out here trying to be strong. I know better. I know better. My power shows up best in weak people. Don't let that go over your head. Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am. I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ's power instead of showing off my own power and abilities, since I know it is all for Christ's good. I am quite happy about the thorn and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties, for when I am weak then I am strong. The less I have, the more I depend on him. Jesus, jesus, y'all. I had so many tears on my Bible when I read this. I had so many tears on my Bible because I can't even count how many times I read this verse and know it word for word. But the word is a living word. I don't care how many times you've read it, I don't care if you know it, I don't care if you can quote it in your sleep. You can read it in the dark, I don't care. God's word is a living word. It is a love letter to you, a father to his child. Oh Lord, I thank you. When I read this thing, it was like he was sitting there talking to me. Even though I know this, it was like I needed to be reminded of the very thing that I already know Be happy about the insults, be happy about the hardships, be happy about the persecutions and difficulties, for when you are weak, when I am weak, god is strong. The less I have, the more I depend on him. If that's not a true statement. The less I have, the more I depend on him. The less I have, the more I depend on him. Okay, the next one we're going to is Hebrews 4, 14 through 15. And this one is referencing. Okay, so we talked about how his grace is sufficient, how when you are weak, he is strong. His grace is sufficient, meaning he is enough. Whatever you're going through, whatever that thorn is, whatever that difficulty, whatever that struggle is, god is enough for you. In the midst of you going through, he is enough for you. He will provide whatever it is you need to get you through it. He is enough for you. Even in the midst of going through, his grace is sufficient, he is enough. His power is made strong in your weakness, because what a thorn does is make you weak. Okay, so now we're going to go to Hebrews, and this is going to talk about Jesus being a high priest. Because what do you need, a high priest? And for those of you who may be listening who have no idea what a high priest is, in the Old Testament, a priest went to God on behalf of the people, because this was before Jesus Christ. We were sinful people, we still are sinful people, but they did not have access to God. Jesus Christ made us be able to have access to God because he died on the cross for our sins. He was that perfect sacrifice. Without sin, without blemish. He lived a perfect life and he died. So he was that one and only sacrifice. That means no more sacrifices had to be made. That's why we don't need any other priests anymore. He's the great high priest, the final one we don't need anymore because he did it all. But before him there had to be priests to go into the temple, to go to God on behalf of the people, because the people did not have access to God, so they could not go to God for themselves. Okay, so let's get into this verse. This is Hebrews, chapter 4, verses 14 through 15. But Jesus, the Son of God, is our great high priest, who has gone to heaven itself to help us. Therefore, let us never stop trusting him, us. Therefore, let us never stop trusting him. This high priest of ours understands our weaknesses, since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them in sin. So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need. So not only is God's grace sufficient for us in the midst of hard times, god says now, because of Jesus Christ, you don't have to wait for any no other priest. You don't have to wait for any no other priest. You don't have to wait for nobody to come to me on your behalf. You can now, because of Jesus, you can come boldly to my throne of grace on your own. But not only can you come on your own, you can come boldly, but y'all know what it means to be bold or to come boldly. You can come with your head up high. You don't have to have shame. You don't have to be walking with your head bowed down Like you're not sure if I can come. I don't know if I'm good enough to come. I don't know if I'm worthy to come, cause you're not. None of us are. But because of Jesus, but because of what Jesus did and the sacrifice that he made, and now because he's our high priest, what he did makes us worthy, not us. Now we can come boldly where we can receive his mercy and find grace, so that grace that I talked about, that's sufficient. We have to go to the throne where we can go boldly because of our high priest, and we can get that grace. Lord, have mercy and the beautiful news not only is Jesus our high priest. But Jesus is a high priest who understands what we're going through. Did y'all hear it in the verse? Because he lived this life. Y'all know God is Jesus in the flesh. He came here on earth, lived this life that we live, went through all of the things that we go through, but without sin. So that means he understands, he feels, he felt the things that we feel. So he understands the things we struggle with, the things we get sad about, we get hurt about, we get angry about. He understands. So we got somebody standing in the gap for us when we pray who understand exactly what we're praying about and how we feel about what we're praying. So when I went to God and I told him how tired I was and the things that I was tired about, and I was able to be more specific with him because he already knows everything that's going on in my life and all the intricate and intimate details. So personally I was able to be very specific and even in my crying and me being heartbroken and sad and disappointed and angry, frustrated, and all the different emotions that I was honest about myself, that I was feeling, jesus was able to understand. Y'all. That's good news, because everybody don't get it, everybody don't understand what you're going through and a lot of you guys don't share, even with the people that you love. You don't share because you don't feel like they will get it or they will understand, or they may judge you, or they may wonder how could things be like that, or why don't you just yeah, so you just don't share. But when it comes to Christ and when it comes to God, you don't ever have to not share, because he understands. Jesus Christ understands as your high priest. Let's get into this last verse, romans, chapter five, verses three through five. This is the Living Bible Translation, but I'm also going to give you the King James Version, just because it's a little shorter. Gets right to the point. Living Bible Translation says we can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us. They help us learn to be patient, and patient develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high, no matter what happens, and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Now let's get into the I'm sorry, and I told you guys King James versions. Let's get into the NIV, the New International Version. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings Because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope, character and character, hope and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. And the reason I'm giving you this last verse is because we talked about his grace being sufficient. We talked about Jesus Christ being our high priest and understanding the things that we go through and how we feel about the things we go through. Now I'm giving you this last verse to let you know that your suffering and go through is for a reason. Your suffering is not in vain. It is for a purpose. God loves you so much that he does not allow you to go through just to go through. It is all for a purpose. Your suffering produces perseverance and perseverance, character and character, hope. It says hope does not put us to shame. It says hope does not put us to shame. I don't know about you, but I'm grateful to serve a God like that. I am grateful to serve a God like that To know that when I get tired and I will if you are human in this flesh, in this earthly body, you will get tired, you will get sad, your feelings will get hurt. You will get sad, your feelings will get hurt, you will be disappointed. But when I do, to a God that loves me and cares about me and will reassure me and remind me that he is with me, he is for me, he sees me, he cares about me, he cares about the things that I go through, and he's also going to give me peace, give me joy, deliver me, bring me out of this. He will be glorified. People will see him. Through my life. It won't always be like this. He's a good God. So I started this episode off with I'm tired, but I'm ending it with I'm tired but I'm grateful, because it's all to his glory, and I hope it's the same for you. Keep going, don't you dare give up. Lean in, lean in on your God, lean in on the people who love you, who will support you and encourage you and remind you that you're not suffering, you're not going through. It's for a purpose, it's for a reason, it's not in vain, but it's for your good and it's for his glory. Remember, I love you, but God loves you so much more. I'll see you next week. Bye, I hope you guys have enjoyed Follow me on Facebook at Demo with Mo. If you have any questions you would like answered here live on my podcast, email them to me. At Demo with Mo at gmailcom. That's D-E-M-O-W-I-T-H-M-O at gmailcom.