3 Musts for Avoiding Burnout
There are times in our lives when we are spent – not just emotionally and physically, but spiritually. And despite our valiant attempts to portray otherwise, we know that the River of God that once gushed through us, has slowed to a trickle. A quick stock of ourselves reveal that we are still praying, still reading our Bible, and still doing our best to live a godly life, yet we feel weak and disjointed. And we start to wonder if this is what burnout feels like.If any of this resonates with you keep reading to learn the 3 musts for avoiding burnout.
3 Musts for Avoiding Burnout
- Acknowledge that it may not be burnout at all, but rather a season of testing to enhance your spiritual growth. It is important to note, that just because you feel disjointed and/or weak spiritually does not necessarily mean that you are experiencing burnout. We want our Christian walk to be all flowers and balloons, but time and again Biblical example teaches us that seasons of great difficulty and feeling separated from God seems to be a rite of passage to the deeper kingdom walk. Consider the fact that Joseph may have felt disjointed in the prison, Moses in the wilderness, Paul in the prisons, David in the caves… In fact, in several of the Psalms David cries out to God to help him in his distress and weariness.
“Be kind to me, God—
I’m in deep, deep trouble again.
I’ve cried my eyes out;
I feel hollow inside.
My life leaks away, groan by groan;
my years fade out in sighs.
My troubles have worn me out,
turned my bones to powder.” –
Psalm 31 (The Message)
- If you don’t have a mentor in your life, get one. Having someone in your life who you trust to be a watcher for your soul is vital. Yes, your pastor is your primary watcher for your soul, and if you are married, next in line would be your husband. But willingly submitting yourself to someone that you respect spiritually to speak into your life not just the warm and fuzzy things of God, but also the warnings and admonitions is key. A spiritually adept mentor will often see before you do that you are over-committed, over-stretched, and/or physically weak and setting yourself up for burnout.
- Don’t let anyone else own your calendar. In other words, be in control of your schedule. If other people have too much say in your day-to-day that is a clear set-up for burnout. Yes, we have our jobs that dictate certain hours. And yes, we have church and ministry obligations, but pay attention – close attention to how much flexibility you have in your schedule in any given week. Do you have downtime? Do you have time for yourself and your family? Do you control your calendar or does someone else? If you don’t like your answers to these questions, set some serious time aside to talk to God about it.
What other tips can you offer for avoiding burnout? Join the conversation.
I been here, and thankfully pulled myself back into reality. As humans it is easy to get over loaded and spiral down. God never leaves our side, he is there the whole time. In life we do have lessons and testing of our faith. When weak, keep it strong. Getting back on your feet you do need a mentor or get deeper in prayer. As I chose not to go to church for a few reasons, I was greatful the Pastor did check on me and Sis Debbie you never gave up on me. We all walk thru different paths at times, it is important to take a step further. I pray more people respond, this would be a good series. praise God.
Thank-you Debbie for your thoughtful comments. It is so easy for all of us to let our plate get too full… So glad you are moving forward. Love you!