Theology to Restore a Weary Soul with Joe Thorn

Feeling Weary? Have you ever felt weary? So weary that you felt it in your soul? When was that? Maybe it was after busy season at work, or after wrapping up a major ministry project in ministry caring for a loved one. What does God say about being weary?

By Joel Settecase / 4-minute read

Feeling Weary?

Have you ever felt weary? So weary that you felt it in your soul? When was that? Maybe it was after busy season at work, or after wrapping up a major ministry project in ministry caring for a loved one.

What does God say about being weary?

The Bible has a lot to say about the weary soul. Also, I have I have discussed a biblical perspective on weariness in episodes, If God is Good, Why Did He Let This Happen to Me? and Ends, Means & Evangelism (blogcast). Because the Bible has so much to say, it can be easy to pick a verse for a quick “head” fix, like Philippians 4:6, which says “Do not be anxious about anything,” and then grit your teeth and white-knuckle your way through.

It can also be tempting to fixate on a verse for a “heart” (emotional) fix--something like Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Neither way--seeking only a “head” fix or only a “heart”/emotional fix--is very effective. Yet as Christians, we are supposed to have everything needed for life and godliness--and we’re supposed to be able to take what we know about God and experience rest and restoration for our weary souls. So how exactly does that happen?

What does it mean to have a weary soul?

And what do we do about it? In this episode we’re going to help you find the answer.

My guest is Pastor Joe Thorn. Joe is the Lead Pastor at Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois, and a host of the Doctrine and Devotion podcast, with Jimmy Fowler. He has also written several books about the relationship between theology and the Christian life.

Those books include Note to Self (which he talked about with the Biblical Counseling Coalition in 2011), and Experiencing the Trinity, in which he explains how a robust knowledge of God's nature can strengthen one's faith and bring believers back from the brink of falling away and restore them after burnout, exhaustion, and distress.

Together we discuss the importance of theology as well as finding theological coaches to help us along our journey.

Show Highlights

Joe describes himself in three words.
Joel tells the story of how he and Joe first connected, four years ago.
Joe explains how he got into mentoring and coaching leaders.
Joel asks: what are the biggest myths about anxiety and despair?
One of Joe’s observations in Experiencing the Trinity really resonated with Joel: the worry, “God doesn’t seem to have provided for them. What if he doesn’t provide for me?”
How the Doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement can help to strengthen a Christian, and what happens if we lose that teaching?
Joe talks about theological coaching and an article he wrote for Place for Truth.
Pastors should be theological coaches.
What if a Christian’s pastors would not make good theological coaches?