How to Avoid Burnout
Even though many people do not like to admit it they are suffering from various levels of emotional, spiritual or mental burnout. When people lose their enthusiasm, excitement and energy in their work they tend to become bored thinking it may be time to try another occupation. Burnout is a phenemenom that is common in all types of occupations but particularly among the service oriented jobs. Too many individuals believe that they are doing thankless work that goes without recognition, reward or a sense of accomplishment. Nearly 50% of the Pastors who go in to the ministry this year will burnout or lose their passion seeking another occupation within three years.
1. Refresh, renew and replenish your spiritual batteries with the joy of the Lord. Nehemiah taught us his secret of avoiding burnout when he wrote in the midst of the difficulties with overseeing the rebuilding of the wall, “Do not mourn or weep…Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:9,10)
Most people who burnout lose the joy of the Lord because they try to get their satisfaction from accomplishments, human relationships or recognition. Only the joy of the Lord is able to help us overcome all the strains of remaining steadfast, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. (I Cor. 15:58) Sometimes we need to set aside time, resources and emotional focus to recharge what has been deplenished.
Illustration:
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no- nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow’s flight, and then young Frank’s tracks meandering all over the field. "Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."
Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy in life. "I determined right then," he’d say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had."
Focus on the Family letter, September, 1992, p. 14.
Illustration: Imagine a wick that is placed in oil, and then lit. If the oil runs out, the wick burns. As long as there is oil, the wick doesn’t burn. As long as we are living in dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit, we don’t burn out. The question to ask: what’s burning?
Illustration: On Jan 25, 1990, Avianca Flight 52 from Colombia crashed just 15 miles short of New York’s Kennedy International Airport, killing 73 passengers. Reason: the plane just ran out of gas. Under international regulations, an airliner must carry enough fuel to reach its destination as well as its assigned alternate, plus enough extra to handle at least 45 minutes of delays. Due to low fuel condition, the Avianca pilots had requested "priority" (not "emergency") landing. Because the exact word "emergency" was not used, and due to heavy traffic and bad weather conditions, the ill-fated plane was placed on a holding pattern...until it simply ran out of gas.
Source Unknown.
2. Remember it is not by your power or by your might but by the Spirit of the Lord’s strength that you will find renewal, hope and meaning. The word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of God bless it! God bless it!” (Zech 4:6,7) The is eager to do a great new work in, through and with you if you will just ask Him. He is in the business of knocking down mighty obstacles for all those who are willing to live more by faith than by fear. He makes a way when there seems to be no way. Quit trying to engineer your own way out of your emotional rut. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4:19) Too many times in the ministry we try to orchestrate our own success when it is the Spirit of the Lord that gives victory, success and blessings in His own way, time and empowerment. Be assured that the Lord is using you in significant ways even though you might not feel like it at the time.
3. Reaffirm yourself by making sure your calling is based squarely in the center of God’s will. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His purposes.” (John 4:34,35) Too many people need to get their sense of fulfillment by being obedient to the Lord and His will for their life as nothing comes close to its satisfaction, fulfillment and its sense of enrichment.
Illustration: Trouble can come just that fast in your life.
Everything can be going beautifully, people can be congratulating you;
things can be going your way. Then all of a sudden the telephone can ring
and everything in your life can be turned upside down. Your medical test
results can come back, and all of a sudden you find yourself in the midst of
a storm. It doesn’t take long for the storms to come.
Amazingly, as this violent storm was taking place, Jesus was asleep. When
John Wesley was coming to America, he found himself in the middle of a
storm. This was in the days before his Aldersgate experience. He was
frightened to death. He frantically ran around the ship seeking shelter. In
the process, he came across a group of Moravians who were singing and calmly
praying. No fear. No panic. Not even among the children. Wesley could not
believe this and he asked the source of their strength. They replied: “We
have Jesus as our Savior.” This was one of several turning points in Wesley’
s life and the beginning of a friendship with these Moravians.
Storms can come suddenly. The disciples experienced it, as did Wesley. We
all do. That is when we go to the stern of the boat to find Jesus asleep. He
doesn’t even know that a storm is raging. He can’t even hear the howl of the
wind. He doesn’t even feel the waves crashing into the side of the boat. The
water splashing all over his face doesn’t disturb him. Doesn’t he care?
Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? Doesn’t God care about what I am going
through?
The sudden furious storm outside may be overwhelming but what is going on
inside can pose the greater threat to our lives. Who will calm the tempest?
Who will the waves obey, “Quiet, be still!”
II. Second, Storms can make you lose your direction
III. Third, Storms can paralyze you with fear
IV. Fourth, Storms can teach us how to prevent future overwhelming situations.
4. Do not take on more responsibilities than the Lord has assigned to you. Many people who burnout are emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually exhausted because they doing more than God intended for them to do. Moses asked the Lord to take his life because he felt the work was too much. Graciously the Lord taught Moses how to delegate some of his responsibilities to other capable people so they could help him share the burden of leading the people of Israel. We all need to have a sane estimate of our own abilities, as Paul taught in Romans 12:3,4. He wrote, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” (Rom. 12:3-6) Realize that perhaps you are doing something that is not really in the area of your giftedness. Maybe there are some ways that you have bitten off too much to chew. Be honest with yourself and cut back in areas where you are not really responsible before God and feel your burdens being lifted.
5. Stop evaluating yourself in comparison with others and quit worrying about what other people will say about you. We are ultimately not called to please people but God. Only when you learn to love yourself unconditionally are you able to share love with others. As Paul encouraged the Corinthians, be more patient, kind to yourself. Do not envy others or be self-seeking of peoples’ approval. Know that His perfect love casts out fear because it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Real agape love, especially for ourselves, never fails, burns out or gets fed up with loving people as Christ loves us. (I Cor. 13:4-7)
6. Do not think you have to solve peoples’ problems in order to be successful. Be realistic as there are many battles, tasks and duties the Lord does not intend for you to experience immediate results. Instead Jesus said, “By this men will all men know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34,35) Even if people do not appreciate you or acknowledge how important you are realize that you are pleasing the Lord and bearing fruit for eternity. The heart of man is never satisfied so quit feeling that you have to provide them with the answers to all of their questions. David wrote, “HE satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good.” (Psa 107) Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.” (Matt 5:8) Allow people to find their fulfillment, solutions and wholeness in the Lord not in your efforts.
7. Praise and thank God for His ability to be greater than any problem you will face. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works mightily within us.” (Eph. 3:20) When we praise and thank God for His goodness, unfailing love and the power of His word to work His will regardless of our feelings we are renewed by the transforming of our minds. Many people who burnout do so because they feel their problems are greater than their capacities to deal with them. Bless the Lord and forget none of His benefits as He heals us from all our diseases.” (Psa 103:1-3)
8. Learn how to be content as Paul was when he wrote, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to abase and to abound. I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” (Phil. 4:12,13) Do not think that you are insignificant or that your work is in vain. Remember that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Be thankful for the good things the Lord allows you to do everyday even though it may not seem to make much difference at the time. Do not despise the day of small things God told Zerubbabel in Zech 4:7,8.
9. Keep recharging your intellectual faculties by reading, researching and writing. One of the great blessings of sermoncentral.com is that it allows many Pastors and teachers the opportunity to share what the Lord is teaching us with others in the ministry. This is a great privilege for which we are immensely grateful. When we have develop new material we are sharpened in our capacity with fresh thoughts that help us see things with a new, fresh and creative perspective. Innovation is necessary to avoid burnout.
10. Get around encouraging people who can pray with you and help share some of your emotional, mental, and spiritual burdens. I praise God that He has always given me a close friend in the ministry whom I can pray with and talk things over on a daily basis. Without this I am sure I would have gotten off the track during my thirty years of full time ministry. Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Also, if two lie down together , they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Eccl. 4:9-12) Ask the Lord to give you a like minded friend whom you can share your burdens with and be a friend to those who are undergoing any type of burnout.
11. Know that many relationships tend to deteriorate into arrangements unless they are infused with a Spirit led and word centered empowered purpose. Many people feel they are just filling a position and work becomes a drudgery. Ask the Lord to help you gain a greater sense of freedom to prevent your relationships to become nothing more than custom bound tasks. Begin to disciple a few people who are really eager to grow and believe that the Lord will multiply you through the hungry souls, even though they may be few. God told Isaiah, “If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in darkness and your night will become like noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of the Broken walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” (Isa 58:10-12) Allow the Lord to work a great miracle through you by entrusting what you have learned to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim. 2:2)
12. Ask the Lord to give you a sense of fit with your work, your ministry and your area of interests. Some people are burning out because they really do not fit in their present work or ministry. Believe that the Lord is a God of new beginnings and He wants you to be in the place where you can experience the greatest abundance of His life giving fruitfulness. The Lord wants us to be joyful, fruitful and maximizing our contributions for the cause of Christ for eternity. Trust the Lord to give you wisdom to figure out where you can best fit in His grand scheme of things even if it means a painful adjustment for a time.
13. Remember all the positive factors that you have going for you in your present situation. Many people who burnout fail to take a fresh inventory of all the wide ranging benefits, skills and practical avenues they have working for them in their working environments. Too often people burn out because they forget to count their blessings and name them one by one. It may even surprise them what they Lord has done and is doing and will do through them in their present ministry.
14. If you feel that the demands are too much ask for help. Begin by asking the Lord as Paul reminds us, “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. But do not forget to ask other experienced people who may be able to counsel you during a time when you are feeling close to burnout. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7)
15. Take courage in the perseverance and determination of Jesus to go all the way to Calvary. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, not minding the shame. For consider Him who endured such sufferings of sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and faint in your minds. For you have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in the striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:2,3)
Illustration: A first-grader wondered why her father brought home a briefcase full of work every evening. Her mother explained, "Daddy has so much to do that he can’t finish it all at the office." "Well, then," asked the child innocently, "why don’t they put him in a slower group?"
Daily Bread, August 8, 1989.
