I’m on a plane today headed for Oklahoma (I’ll be there until Monday). There’s a leadership conference for our fellowship of churches and I am very excited to be going. I appreciate your prayers for me!
It may take me a little longer for me to respond, but Sarah Salter will also be helping to facilitate the discussion so I think we’re in for another great conversation.
By the way, if you would like to stay updated on the comments so that you can respond to other thoughts as they come, click on the Follow link at the bottom left of the comment box and you can choose either updates by email or RSS. I’d love to see more people interacting with each other’s thoughts too. Okay, here we go!
Chapter Three: Internal Risk FactorsWhat’s on the inside is not always plain. We hide it. We mask it. Not only from others but even ourselves. That’s why spiritual burnout is hard to see until it’s too late. Most times, it’s from the heart and spirit that we draw our strength and courage, and burnout seeks to rob us of these things and more because things are out of balance.
That’s what kept resounding in me as I read this chapter: things are out of balance.
Some things we can’t change (for the most part). Personality type, our personal history, family health—these things have been handed down to us or formed over many years. We take care of what we can take care of with our health. We recognize what our personality types’ weaknesses would be so we can keep watch. We recognize that our history (no matter how great, hard, or dysfunctional) is a valuable asset in sharing God’s love and truth.
All those things seem to flow much more naturally (or supernaturally) when one thing is first: our relationship with Jesus. The enemy attacks and destroys so that he can get to this most valuable commodity. This is where burnout is so effective.
Our relationship with Christ atrophies and dwindles less and less. The source of our strength is cut off because we are cut off. As we’ve already talked about, apart from Jesus you can do nothing (John 15:5). We may be able to make it appear as if we are doing something for a while, but it comes to a screeching halt at some point. There is a crash and burn because our relationship with God brings talents, time, other relationships, personal health, responsibilities, and everything else into focus.
I loved the quote that Anne used in the book from Oswald Chambers’, My Utmost for His Highest,
—If you want to be used of God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and he will make use of you every minute you live—yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.
This is what burnout is fighting against—our effectiveness and true usefulness in God’s Kingdom. He isn’t enamored of our talents. He didn’t call us for our many strengths. He saw a broken life in need of a Savior who could be reconciled in relationship and then turned around to love others the same way.
When we truly are walking in a deep relationship with Jesus we are effective—intentionally and unintentionally. What a beautiful thing! Deep down that’s what everyone in ministry wants, to touch lives and see people changed by His grace.
Lack of relationship steals the focus because we can’t have His vision and heart apart from Him.
- If you read the chapter, what stood out to you about the internal risk factors? Did you learn anything about yourself as you reflected and examined?
- For those and everyone else, what do you do to make sure relationship with Jesus stays the top priority? OR if this has been a problem in the past, how did you correct it?
Okay, let’s begin the conversation! Can’t wait to hear from you…
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