I Thought I Was Better Than This

hey and welcome back to journey with jesus this is your host and author johnny singh and i appreciate you spending a little bit of your time with me today as we go through today's reflection if you're a listener of the recordings whether on a podcast app or through substack or from whatever platform you might be listening, comment the word care. That way I can know who all of our listeners are. Thank you. Today's reflection. I thought I was better than this. After several recent doctor visits and more blood panels than I care to count, I learned something I was not expecting. I was not doing as well as I thought. For a while, I had my own explanations ready. Maybe it was lifestyle adjustments. Maybe it was moving to a new country. Maybe I simply missed my mom's cooking back home. Each of those seemed reasonable enough. Turns out I was wrong. In a previous reflection, I mentioned that I had began congregational ministry at what many would consider a very young age. I stepped into responsibilities that sounded mature in theory long before they had fully matured in practice. If you knew me in those earlier years, you would have known me by now. I would have known you by now. I would have noticed two things quickly. I had energy that seemed endless and I was not always the most patient listener in the room. I looked different then. I moved differently too. My enthusiasm often ran ahead of my wisdom. I remember my eldest brother once telling me something that has stayed with me for years. He said, baptism doesn't dismiss biology. I may not be remembering his exact words, but the meaning was clear. I may not remember his exact words, but the meaning was clear. I may not we would say he was wising me up. What he meant was simple. Spiritual commitment does not cancel out the realities of human life. Growth in Christ does not suddenly remove the seasons of physical, emotional, and biological development that God built into our bodies. In other words, he was telling me, slow down, Johnny. Do not get ahead of yourself. That advice has come back to mind recently. The past few years have carried more weight than I realized at the time. Frustration, hurt, confusion, doubt, moments where expectations collided with reality. I pushed through most of it, convinced that perseverance meant ignoring the toll it was taking. But the body has a way of telling the truth. My energy dropped. Muscle mass faded. My strength was not what it used to be. Even small things changed, like my body was not as strong as it used to be. My body was not as strong as it used to be. My hair and overall vitality began to show. I blamed genetics. I blamed relocation. I blamed everything except the real issue. My doctor recently explained that my body has been storing high levels of stress over a relatively short period of time. Whoa. When I heard that, I was surprised. My wife was not. She has quietly watched moments of burnout, fatigue, and frustration that I convinced myself were just normal parts of pushing forward. To her, the diagnosis simply put words to what she had already seen. To me, it felt like a mirror. All I could think was, how did I not see this coming? At 25 years old, stress was the last thing I thought would be the reason behind mental and physical setbacks. Yet, there it was, staring back at me through a stack of lab results. Over the past week, I have spent more time in my head than usual. I delayed posting several reflections that were already written. Too many thoughts were swirling around. Eventually, one conclusion settled in. I am not better than the statistics. And if I am honest, the assumption that I was immune to burnout carried more arrogance than I realized. The routines I kept, the efforts I made, the counsel I sought, none of those things are wasted. But they do not make a person invincible. Scripture has been reminding me of that lately. Paul once wrote about a season when the weight of ministry nearly crushed him. He said, For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 8 That is the truth. A man whose endurance most of us admire. Yet even he reached the point where the burden felt beyond his ability. Moses knew similar frustration. Lead in Israel through the wilderness drained him to the point that he cried out to God, I alone am not able to carry all of this people because it is too burdensome for me. Numbers chapter 11, verse 14. Even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, felt the deep loneliness of a heavy moment. After asking his disciples to stay awake and pray, he returned to find them sleeping. Scripture records his words plainly. So, you men cannot keep watch with me for one hour? Matthew chapter 26, verse 40. And then, of course, there's Elijah. After confronting the prophets of Baal and standing boldly for God, he fled in fear from Jezebel. Exhausted and overwhelmed, he sat on the tree and wished his life would end. What did God do in that moment? God did not lecture him. God gave him rest. An angel touched him and said, Arise, eat. Then Elijah slept again, ate again, and regained strength for the journey ahead. 1 Kings chapter 19, verses 5-8. These accounts remind us of something important. Faithful people still feel pressure. Servants of God still experience exhaustion. Even strongmen of faith reach moments where their strength alone is not enough. So, what do we learn from that? First, honesty matters. Pretending to be fine does not make a person strong. It only delays the moment when reality forces a conversation. Second, humility matters. None of us outruns the limits God placed within the human body. Third, care matters. The only thing a person can do is rest, eat well, pray deeply, and allow trusted people to walk alongside them. Jesus himself invited the weary with these words, Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew chapter 11, verse 28. That invitation still stands. So, what would I like to share with a few faithful readers and listeners here today? Simply this. Do not be too arrogant to think that you are better than the statistics. Stress, exhaustion, and discouragement do not only visit those who are weak. They visit those who care deeply, carry responsibility, and keep moving forward when life becomes heavy. Pay attention to your soul. Listen to your body. Lean on God. And remember, that even the strongest servants in Scripture had moments where they needed rest, help, and the quiet reassurance that God had not left them alone. Thank you. If you've been moved and are encouraged by what we do here and our efforts to share Jesus in the way we do, your prayers, words, and furthering it by sharing the post means a lot to us. If you would like to personally be a part of this effort, you can do so by making a contribution through the link listed below. Please note, you are not actually buying me a coffee, but instead this is a platform that is used through which you can make contributions that personally and directly help my wife and I as we continue to minister in this way. Thank you again for listening. I hope that today's reflection means a great deal to you as much as it has to me while preparing it. Until next time, keep praying, keep being faithful, and keep faithful in this journey with Jesus as we walk together.