How To Prevent Burnout!

*Read this Scripture: Nehemiah 13:15-31

One of the biggest issues young leaders and pastors face is Burnout.  Just like any machine or appliance, if it is overused and abused, it burns out, stops working, falls apart - sound familiar?  One of my favorite passages of scripture is in Nehemiah, when Nehemiah takes on the project of rebuilding the crumbled walls of Israel.  And we know that in a supernatural display of God's power, the walls were rebuilt, despite opposition, in 52 days!

The idea of the Sabbath and a Day of Rest is often discussed, but not always completely observed - especially by Christian leaders / pastors etc.  There was a similar disregard for the command to obey and observe the Sabbath at the time of Nehemiah.  The people had become lax and accustomed to letting some of the regulations concerning the Sabbath slip.

I find myself falling into the same pattern.  Working so hard during the week - trying to do some of the work I was unable to get to on Saturday and then often times Sunday.  But when is my Sabbath?  Where is my day of rest?  Surely, this observance isn't meant to be observed by pastors / leaders?

The heart of the word "Sabbath" is "Rest."  The Sabbath was to be a time when man could rest.  Today's challenges are similar if not greater then those of the time of Nehemiah.  I am amazed when I listen to the struggles our Youth face in school and at home.  I am amazed at the struggles some of our congregation is facing concerning job security, finances and health issues.  People are carrying an unhealthy amount of stress around with them wherever they go.

The Sabbath is basically God's "Stress Management Program."  If we cannot pause from our busy lives, from the stress that would try to engulf us - we cannot survive and we will fall apart and we will fail.

A word often used in scripture that I can relate to is "weary."  Weary is defined as; exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness, having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted.

When we allow ourselves to work and work and work with no rest, we become weary to the point that we have no strength, patience or pleasure.

One of the misconceptions I think people have, especially leaders, is that they have to work themselves to death to feel like they are doing a good job - or to appear that way to others.  But the truth is; we can't always do everything, we can't always do everything exactly how we want it - we can't be perfect!

That's where I think the lesson is.  

One of my favorite versus is Matthew 11:28 -
 
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

The Lord wants us to rely on his strength to see us through, not our own strength.  Jesus wants us to take time to spend with him and to allow him to refresh us and renew us.  If we don't - then we will never truly be rested and we rob ourselves of the strength, patience, and pleasure that can only be achieved from a relationship with Him.  Luke 4:18 -

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.

We cannot fulfill God's will for our lives if we allow ourselves to get Burnt-out.  It's only when we have the faith and the courage to rest in Him, despite what we feel we have not accomplished, that we can really change the world!