If we do not often consider Christ, if we do not think of all that he put himself through in order to save us, then we may grow weary and faint in our minds. This is the remedy: not only to see his patient behaviour and example to us, but to move our hearts. If we do not, this may very well happen to us: ‘lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds’.
‘Lest ye be wearied’, lest you tire of the things of God and weaken in your zeal and concern. We do at times become preoccupied with earthly problems, and weaken in our zeal, our love for him, and for souls. How do you get back your emotional strength is your love your gratitude to God your desire to see people saved? You sit quietly and you reflect, not on what a man suffered, but on what the eternal Son of God suffered, the most glorious person who took on human form. The mind slackens, it flops and becomes despondent. ‘I cannot go to the prayer meeting. It is a meeting of hymns, a Scripture reading, a brief statement of all the things that concern us as a church, and then prayer. There is no message, there is no entertainment; there isn't anything special to please the flesh. I cannot go because I have got too much to do, or because I am tired, but isn't the real reason that you become faint in your mind? Your faith has flopped. Of course we ought to pray or we will not be blessed. Faith has failed, the certainty that God hears and answers the prayers of his people.
Now, some Christian people slide into taking a very limited view of the Christian life and the experience of salvation. It is as though to them, ‘Christ came from heaven to earth to suffer and die for me’ – well that is true if you are a child of God. ‘But he came to suffer and to die for me in order that I could go to heaven, that I could know him on earth, that I could be blessed, that I may have a happy life, that I may have my prayers answered, so that all my difficult circumstances are overcome, that my children may grow up to be successful, my home may prosper; it is all for my benefit.’ That is the rather sad and limited view of the Christian life that some believers slide into. This chapter explodes that narrow and limited view. It says in effect, ‘You have not been saved only for your good and to be blessed by God on earth, but you have been saved in order to take part in the greatest cause in the world, and the greatest battle. We are redeemed for the purpose of serving Christ in his great scheme, in this great battle.