One story that always intrigues me in Scripture is the story of Elijah. No, not that story. We all love to look at the story of Elijah (1 Kgs. 18), standing resolute before the prophets of Baal and Asherah, calling them out for not being able to get Baal’s attention to consume the sacrifice only to demonstrate who the REAL God is as He shows up and consumes the sacrifice and surrounding water at Mt. Carmel. I’m talking about the aftermath of that story, where Elijah flees before Jezebel’s wrath to a cave in the wilderness to hide.
Elijah, who had just demonstrated his faith in possibly the most pronounced way he possibly could, appears to drastically change from courageous to coward in one of the most stunning character shifts in the Old Testament. As he is on his way, he seems to have given up as he sleeps under a broom tree (1 Kgs 19:4-6) Later, he travels even further away and hides in a cave (1 Kgs 19:8-9).
When we arrive in burnout, it is not a sudden shift. Burnout develops as the progressive accumulation of subtle changes over time where an individual focuses progressively more and more on the unmet needs and desires of self and less and less on the God we serve and the Savior who died and rose again to meet our greatest need. This is perhaps what happens to Elijah over his 41 days of flight. As we become more and more overwhelmed, we eventually become so focused or frozen that we lose sight of our Savior and our calling. When we get to that place, we feel overwhelmed, isolated, and trapped. We become myopically focused on problems and not solutions. When we are in burnout, we have stepped away from the right priority set and have shifted where and how we spend our time and attention away from what matters most.
Are there ways that what we perceive as burnout is God’s discipline? In other words, when we face that kind of exhaustion, does it happen as a result of trying to rely on our own strength?
Conversely, are there ever times when we are in burnout and we are simultaneously in the center of God’s will?
Asking the question, “How does one move into burnout?” is similar to asking, “Why does one not endure? Why does one quit or give up?”
I wonder if sometimes, a faithful minister serving the Lord can be subjected to outside sources, people or leaders who have influence over their lives, who are not functioning in the wisdom of God. In those instances, when someone is being micromanaged, or when unrealistic, unhelpful expectations are placed upon them, or they are being bullied, we must ask ourselves, “How does burnout relate to reliance on God during those kinds of persecution?” This kind of maltreatment facilitates the move away from God’s will in at least four ways.
1) Bitterness – When one is subjected to foolish outside sources that have power over the individual, he may begin the slow burn of anger that leads to holding a grudge. Hanging onto that grudge can facilitate burnout. This is unforgiveness in action.
2) Hopelessness – Similarly, when someone is forced under the thumb of poor leadership, it can lead the individual to give up. This giving up indicates a belief that God is not able to change the situation. At the same time, in some of these instances God doesn’t show up when we want Him to, and we must determine if we are being called to endure, or if God is using this to show us it is time to move on from our current situation.
3) Exhaustion – This problem usually indicates a lack of sufficient training and preparation. When one is unprepared, whether because he didn’t know or knew and didn’t lay the groundwork, he is setup to fail. This is potentially a lack of sufficient foundation. On the other hand, it could be a lack of wisdom about when to rest and take respite in order to steward his own resources well.
4) Injury – It is also possible that burnout has been caused by hurt. In some instances, when one has been hurt (or is currently being hurt) psychologically, spiritually, sexually, or physically in the course of ministry, he may choose to transition rather than needlessly endure, especially when the perception is that enduring is indeed needless. This one can cause clouded judgment, especially if the pain is ongoing.
But there is a blessing hiding here. Just like for Elijah, God shows up in these places. He wants us in fellowship with Him. The hopelessness of burnout only lives in the cave. If we are willing to walk to the entrance, God is usually waiting there, and He often wants us back in service.
Thus, a possible solution is to make sure we intentionally and regularly order our lives so that we can be about the Lord’s business in ways that bring rejuvenation.
- Spend time on a short-term mission trip
- Spend time in worship (individual and corporate)
- Spend time in fellowship with others (family, core group, etc…)
- Spend personal time in the Word (READ: Non-Sermon/Study prep)