There comes a time when we all can run out of energy … a time when our physical, emotional and even spiritual tank runs dry.
I’m not talking about ordinarily tiredness, I’m talking about reaching a point where you don’t even have the energy to think straight or the ability to do the things that you are passionate about.
Often people will refer to this as ‘burn out’ … just like a motor car, when it’s runs out of fuel it will stop moving, but worst still, if it runs out of oil the engine will ‘burn out’.
Perhaps you’ve been there … perhaps you are there right now, or you know someone who is.
The truth is, like a motor car, there are warning signs that burn out is a real danger, in fact the warning lights have been on for some time but we just keep plowing on, often driven by loyalty to an employer, to a cause or to a dream.
How do I know. I have been there, and right now my warning lights are on.
As I read the Bible and as I spend time communing with God it is clear to me that burn out was never God’s plan. Like the motor car, God has ‘wired us’ with warning lights. For me, some of the signs warning that burn out could happen are extreme tiredness, brain fog, prolonged migraine headaches and an irritating inability to push ahead and do the things that I want to do.
The question is: will we heed the warning lights or keep going until we hit burn out?
None of us can fulfil the plans and purposes of God for our lives if we are exhausted and burnt out.
Today I encourage you to take proactive steps to avoid burnout. Your engine has been running on low, to no fuel and oil for too long.
May God help you to rest, and as you do, replenish your body physically, emotionally and spiritually with the types of fuel that will release the energy you require to ‘run the race that God has called you to.’
Finally, Isaiah 40:29-31 says:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Rather than burning out, let’s take time to rest, refuel and re-fire.
This is an extremely perceptive post; most relevant to our time. The demands of everyday life (commuting, caring for family, work, etc.) are increasingly compounded by the intense pressure many feel as a result of family breakdowns, social media and the condition of our world. While we, as believers, are privileged to be equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we also enter into a spiritual battle which can become debilitating, especially if we succumb to the subconscious trap of attempting to fight it in our own strength.
The tragedy is that these times of emotional & physical exhaustion, when the 'warning lights' are on, can frequently be the occasions when we pare back on prayer, Bible study and fellowship,…