So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David. 2 Samuel 16:13 (NLT)
Weariness is exhaustion that wears us down mentally and emotionally. But what causes it? In 2 Samuel 16, we find an interesting key to this topic buried within the story. David’s son, Absalom, mounted an insurrection to kill him and take over the leadership of Israel. Rather than fight his own son, David and his men escaped Jerusalem and moved to a protected location.
As they passed by a village, an angry man named Shimei came out and ran alongside them. He continually cursed David while chucking rocks and handfuls of dust at him and his caravan.
Now, maybe you’re thinking, “What’s the big deal?” Shimei was a single man with no armour or weapons. He was just an upset individual who hurled insults, stones and dirt at them. One of David’s warriors could have wiped out Shimei with a single blow. Yet Shimei’s relentless, negative words and actions wearied David and those with him just the same (2 Samuel 16:14).
Today, many corrupt governments, leaders and media outlets use Shimei’s same tactics to further their goals. The result? Exhausted, burned-out people often lose the energy to fight back.
One antidote is to identify what’s causing weariness and then realize that you don’t have to accept it. It sounds simplistic, but understand that the source of weariness can only continue affecting you with your permission. That realization alone is mentally empowering!