You’ve heard of wash ‘n’ wear. Those are the garments you throw in the washer, then the dryer, and even if you miss the dryer buzzer, they don’t wrinkle. You pull them out, put them on, and off you go! They look great. We like to think of ourselves as wash ‘n’ wear. But many days, it’s more like wear ‘n’ tear! We start a day as wash ‘n’ wear . . . and end up as wear ‘n’ tear.
What Does Wear ‘n’ Tear Look Like?
Life is hard. It is broken. It wears you down and often tears your heart up. By the time you get half way through your life, if not before, you are stunned at the wear and tear of this world. It looks something like this:
- So tired.
- Worn out.
- Discouraged.
- Disappointed.
- Scattered.
- Dry and empty.
- Lonely.
- Broken hearted.
- Your strength stretched beyond capacity.
When you are in this place, what do you do? How do you get from wear ‘n’ tear back to wash ‘n’ wear again?
What Do You Do?
When you end up in this discouraging place, there is only one good place to turn. There’s only one practical, permanent, potential fix. Everything else you might try is temporary. Works for awhile, but diminishes at some point. It might be a fad approach to “new healthy life energy.” Or it could be a method with pretty good results – but it still lacks the peace and the long-term answers your heart longs for. And it’s gotta be made of the right, long-term stuff . . . just like wash ‘n’ wear material.
Turning to God is practical, permanent and potentially powerful. When you turn to God with desperate faith – or tired hope, He does a work in you in a way you can’t really explain. God does things like this to/for you:
- Renews your soul.
- Rebuilds your confidence.
- Reboots your courage.
- Comforts you in grieving.
- Gives you rest.
- Provides a fresh vision.
- Heals your heart.
- Refreshes your strength.
- Provides companionship.
- Restores your soul.
- Makes all things new.
- Prepares a path in front of your weary soul, walks you into this new path, and is your rear guard. In other words, God has your back while you trust and obey Him for these things only He can provide.
That’s quite a list! You won’t find all those resources anywhere else.
God Specializes in Wear ‘n’ Tear
God wants to help you regain your footing when things have pulled you down. He wants to restore you when you have slipped. He speaks directly to you and asks questions that pierce right through all the wear ‘n’ tear. Why? Because God cares about you very much. He loves you.
The Sovereign Lord asks you, “Son of man, can your tired, weary bones live again? Daughter of humanity, can you gather up, regroup, and rise again?” (Ezek. 37:3)
You are a “son or daughter of man.” God is asking you this question when you are in a wear ‘n’ tear state. He already knows the answer. But He wants you to fully connect with your condition. Only when you are honest at this point can you humbly take up His resources and apply them for transformation needed to become wash ‘n’ wear again.
God asked a worn-out person these questions many years ago. That man, Ezekiel, responded with the only answer he could think of in his worn-out state. He was still in a daze from life’s ravaging affect. So the best he could come up with to God’s questions about his tired, weary bones regrouping and rising up again was this – “O Sovereign Lord, You alone know!”
That’s our best answer, too!
“Jesus, only You know what can be for me in the future. Only You can lift me up again.” And that’s exactly what He’s waiting for. Do you know why? Because He’s dying to bless you and give you fabulous gifts He’s reserved for you from His own heart.
Questions To Ask Yourself
The part that comes next is important. You must ask yourself critical questions – and then answer them. What you answer will make all the difference in whether you can shift from wear ‘n’ tear back into wash ‘n’ wear.
1. Do you believe God can breathe new life into you? (If you don’t, you’re toast!)
2. Are you willing to obey what He asks you to do? (If you aren’t, you’re stuck!)
These critical questions, when answered, will either pull you into God’s miracles or leave you sitting on the side lines discouraged and alone. . . dried up in a heap. And if you answer the questions in a way that leaves you sitting in that pitiful place, I simply must ask: why would you do that to yourself? Why would you stay in a pitiful heap when there are bountiful provisions and resources you can grab up and apply to your life?
One of the first things that helps a person pull out of a downward cycle is to proactively take a step toward a productive option. Jesus has a whole collection of creative, productive options you can choose from.
God Wants To Do Something Special For You
God will do everything needed – to/for you – if you turn to Him in faith. Plus, He has some fabulous things to say to you and about you. Listen to the incredible words He says, “I will –
- Make breath enter you.
- Make you come to life again.
- Attach and reconnect your innermost parts.
- Make you into the lovely person I had in mind when I created you.
- Cover you and protect you – if you will trust Me and obey.
- Breathe hope and strength back into you.
- Then you will know I am God.
About you He says –
- You are precious and honored in my sight.
- I love you.
- I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. (Is. 43:4)
- You have purpose and value.
- I have special good works for you to do.
- My original design is that you can be replenished and renewed.
Why Not Let God Rebuild Your Life Again?
God wants to do something special for your worn ‘n’ torn spirit. He can renew you. Why not let Him? This is the process the Lord takes you through over and over through your life. Wear ‘n’ tear doesn’t disappear. It is a common visitor through the years. Losses, sorrows, hardships, sin, disease, brokenness, health issues – all continually threaten to tear you apart and undo you into a pile of dried up bones.
Gathering up, regrouping, and rising up again won’t last long if you try to muster it up on your own. But if you let God help, He will literally knit His rebuilding processes into your DNA essence so you are equipped for the next time wear ‘n’ tear hits your wash ‘n’ wear world.
If you will dare to believe and obey, you will come alive again to finish your journey. You will be brought up from the effects of sin and death, and you will be brought back to a place of rest. What is that place of rest? It is staying close to Jesus forever, by faith, even as He dwells in you forever. Forever starts now! And God has made sure that forever is filled with delight! So, start now.
Application Thoughts and Questions
God wants to do this for you. Do you believe Him? He will put His Spirit in you and help you live with fresh, new energy every day. He will settle you into your own place – bring you home to Himself and to yourself. Do you believe the Son of God/Son of Man? Have you been mustering on your own to get going again? Why not let God help? He will permanently change and equip you for the next time wear ‘n’ tear hits your wash ‘n’ wear world.
Ezekiel said, “O Sovereign Lord, You alone know!” To add something meaningful to those words – your portion – just say, “Jesus, I believe. You can do anything. I will obey.”
For a quiet time study book on this very topic, check out Despicable We: Daily Studies in Ezekiel. It is filled with hope in the face of a broken world. You can have a wash ‘n’ wear life even in a world that is full of wear ‘n’ tear.
