The booming voice from the loudspeakers overpowered us. Common sense said it was a pre-recorded message, set to repeat as California travelers passed through, but for my husband and me, it was personal. We swore the stern tone in the message was chastisement for stopping. As my husband frantically scanned the booth, looking for signs of life or posted instructions on how to pay, I searched my purse and the car console for loose change. As angry honks from the bottleneck of cars behind us increased in volume and intensity, we had no choice but to adhere to the voice’s command – “Don’t stop! Keep going!”

Barreling through a toll booth without paying seemed illegal, so we pulled over after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to assess what we had just done. We grew up traveling the Oklahoma Turnpike, where commuters tossed change into a metal coin basket before proceeding. If you did not have the exact change, you entered the lane with a toll booth, where a collector exchanged your bills for coins. Regardless of the lane, you stopped!

As it turned out, we were not lawbreakers. Unbeknownst to us, cashless tolling had become a thing. Two weeks later, a bill for the toll arrived in the mail. This experience, while humorous, serves as wise counsel for our lives. How often do we stop progress on a long-term project or give up prematurely on a God-given dream when it becomes difficult or mundane? Does working and waiting another week, month, or year for your plan to come to fruition make you feel weak and weary? Do you yearn to give up? Do you want to stop?

Naturally, we get excited at the beginning of a new thing. We are fueled by possibility, positive change, and future personal achievement, and we are motivated when we witness progress. But as time grinds on, the monotony of the work can diminish our enthusiasm, cause stagnation, and invite exhaustion and burnout. This is when many abandon their goal or dream.

The Book of Isaiah tells us that God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. When weariness weighs us down and our strength fails, God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. His strength is sufficient to renew our vigor. Though we may want to resign ourselves to giving up, God beckons us to “keep going.”

Consider these five motivating tips if you have grown weary from working towards a goal or dream.

1. Remember your “why.” Go back to the initial reasons you embarked on the goal and ask God to help you rediscover its purpose and meaning. Reconnecting with your core motivations can reignite your drive. Write them down and revisit them regularly.
2. Celebrate small wins! Don’t just focus on the big, distant dream. Break it down into smaller, achievable milestones and celebrate each one as a victory. This sustains momentum and provides encouraging boosts along the journey.
3. Change your environment. Feeling stuck or in a funk? Perhaps a change in your environment or routine may be helpful. A new setting can provide a fresh perspective and renewed inspiration to keep pushing forward.
4. Do not isolate. Engage with friends, family, mentors, colleagues, or a community that supports your goals. Their encouragement, advice, and accountability can re-energize your efforts.
5. Practice self-care: Burnout happens when you neglect your own needs. Make time to recharge your mind and body through exercise, nutrition, hobbies, etc. Rested determination is more sustainable than running on fumes.

Whether it is God’s voice or an automated recording at the Golden Gate Bridge, take heart and do not lose faith when weariness tempts you to abandon your efforts. The dreams and callings planted in your heart are meant to be pursued with relentless perseverance. The same eternal God who blessed you with those yearnings and visions has boundless stores of spiritual energy to fuel you for the journey ahead, so don’t stop! Keep going!

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 40:29

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

2 Chronicles 15:7

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.

Prayer:

Lord, we know you are the giver of strength and endurance. The temptation to toss in the towel can be strong some days. Help us to keep pushing forward towards the goal. Guide our steps and fill our hearts with determination and motivation to keep going. Amen.