Don't Faint

From a medical perspective, fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a lessening of blood flow to the brain. It's never happened to me, but I've seen others faint at weddings, sports events, crowded concerts—even in church services.

Scripture mentions several times when people fainted. When Esau came home famished after hunting in the open country, "he was faint" (Genesis 25:29, KJV). In his weakened condition, he made a foolish decision and traded his birthright for some lentil stew. When the Israelites were "faint and weary," they were easy prey for an enemy army (Deuteronomy 25:18, KJV). Concerned when a crowd stayed with him for three days and ran out of food, Jesus fed them with miraculous bread and fish so they wouldn't faint or collapse along the way (Matthew 15:32-38).

Sometimes, the Bible uses fainting to picture spiritual weakness or a lack of courage. Moses' army officers told their men that if they were "afraid or fainthearted," they should return home lest they dishearten the other soldiers (Deuteronomy 20:3, 8). Psalm 107:5 (KJV) says the Israelites' "soul fainted in them" as they awaited God's help. The apostle Paul says not to grow weary and faint when we should be doing good (Galatians 6:9).

The Lord never faints. He never passes out from fear, never cowers in a corner to escape danger, never loses his nerve. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:28, 29). But if that's true, then why are we so often weak in the presence of temptation? Why do so many Christian leaders feel discouraged? Why do so many churches founder instead of flourishing? Why do so many worship services seem devoid of God's presence? Why do our souls faint within us when life gets tough?

There are several reasons for spiritual weakness. Satan does his best to demoralize and discourage us. Our bodies and minds grow tired from overwork, making us susceptible to spiritual danger. Sinful desires wage war against our souls. Our culture pulls us along like a swift-flowing stream, and it's tiresome to swim against the current. Internal strife in troubled congregations diminishes the joy of gathering for worship. Leadership is hard work, and over time it grinds down even the strongest leader. Poor preaching weakens the church; our souls become malnourished when there is "a famine of hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). Spiritual weakness engulfs us when we fail to pray (Luke 18:1), when we neglect or abuse the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:27-32), and when we don't receive needed encouragement from family or friends.

Like the physical body, the spiritual body of Christ needs a balance of exercise, rest, and nourishment. If you're an inactive Christian, get off the bench and put your faith to work. If you're an overworked Christian, take a break and rediscover why the Sabbath principle is in the Bible. If you're a spiritually undernourished Christian, feed on the Word of God.

The Lord can give renewed strength to anyone, of any age, at any time, under any circumstances. "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:30, 31).