Just being alive in today's society and functioning with some level of effectiveness at home, work and church creates an all too familiar vacuum that before long will leave you breathless at times. Burnout is all too common today. The symptoms of burnout vary, but the outcome is always the same. The breakdown of the family, lack of concentration, physical illness and fatigue, spiritual emptiness, etc. I believe today busyness and the lack of skills to organize and order our private and public world are prominent portals of destruction of all that God originally intended for His people. Since the very beginning of time, rest and peace have always had a special significance to God and His plan for mankind. Although this rest and peace is not always easily attained, it is a huge necessary element to truly being alive. Even the fact of a spiritual rest that exists within a genuine follower of Jesus, the stress and pace of life today outweighs all to often the believers actual position in Christ. This is simply a reality that we need to no longer neglect.
God's calling in our lives does not eliminate stress and burnout automatically. No where does the Bible promise to ease all the stress in our lives. It does promise God's peace when we allow Him to control our lives and shape our decisions. For instance, true and consistent obedience to God will birth a peace in someones heart, but it can also bring about stress and strife in finances, persecution, etc. God gives us in His Word practical ways to to limit stress and avoid burnout in the framework of obedience and His design for our lives. H.B. London points these out in a recent article. They are tried and true throughout the history of mankind:
1. Accept Responsibility = We should be active in self-examining and adjusting our personal schedules and daily demands. Make the needed changes as Wisdom speaks.
2. Acknowledge Limitations = Don't apologize for scheduling and getting a good nights sleep or a day off. There are times to not answer business calls or setting aside the "To Do" list. Only you can plan and practice the balance of time with your family, time involved in your own spiritual growth and development, time involved serving in ministry needs, etc.
3. Consciously Slow Your Pace of Life = In the world, the pace of life has literally become deadly. You cannot permit each year to bring an increase in speed and frenzy. Only you can control that pace.
4. Define and Defend Personal Boundaries = Jesus himself did not meet every need. Remember that is not important, nor a part of God's plan for your life, for you to have more compassion than our Savior.
5. Learn to Say No = Most of us have serious problems saying no to things that are interesting and enjoyable. People who don't learn to say no will become overwhelmed and overloaded.
6. Get Less Done, but Do the Right Things = Prioritize your life. What should really matter most in your life? Efficiency in areas that matter most is direct result of cooperating with the Holy Spirit. How much of your daily routine has the Spirit of God actually asked you to do? Jesus only did and said what the Father told him to. Imagine if we all prioritized and planned accordingly.
If you are currently burned out, overwhelmed and caught up in the frenzy, take a moment right now, meditate on the six principles listed above, pray and for the sake of yourself and all those around you who love you, make the needed adjustments. Only you can truly organize your private and public life. The result will be a greater, more effective and efficient You.
STAY INFORMED...
2 comments:
That's awesome, Vaughn! This has always been an area I've struggled with (until lately anyway :) I found one thing that really helped me and that was to remember that the Bible says to put God first. It doesn't say to put our ministry first and too many people fail to make that distinction. I believe that is why a lot of kids who grow up in Christian households end up with an attitude against church and ministry. It's vital to find balance! Love ya Brother!
Charisse
This is very good. I struggled for years with all the GOOD things that needed doing. It seemed as if they would not get done if I didn't do them. Even though my strongest spiritual gift is service, I found myself resenting all that I was doing. Unfortunately, I also tend toward perfectionism and did not want to share the work because if someone else did it, it would not come up to my standards. How good God was to put a stop to that attitude!
Your blog was a good reminder to guard against my natural proclivity to try to do too much rather than what God has called me to do. Thank you so much, friend.
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