It happens. Even if you’re not bipolar, you’ll inevitably experience the peaks and valleys of life. Like waves on the seashore, there will be high tide and low tide—and perhaps even an occasional tsunami.
When faced with such things, it’s helpful to remember you’re not alone. Whether you know it or not, your friends and loved ones are dealing with their own battles. No one is exempt.
So this is not a time for arrogance—as if you are immune from struggles. Nor is it a time for self-pity—as if your problems are greater than anyone else’s.
We who are believers must avoid the fallacy of attributing every trial to a “lack of faith.” The Bible’s greatest heroes often went from exhilaration to exasperation in short order:
- Moses had just witnessed one of the most amazing miracles of all time, the parting of the Red Sea and drowning of the Egyptian army. But the celebration was short-lived: Only three days later, his followers were grumbling because there was no suitable water to drink (Exodus 14 – 15).
- David was so caught up in worship one day that he boldly declared, “I will never be shaken!” Yet in the very next verse he lamented, “You hid Your face, and I was dismayed” (Psalm 30:1-7). Apparently, it’s not good to be cocky when times are good.
- Elijah had just experienced his finest hour, defeating the false prophets on Mount Carmel and then bringing about rain after Israel’s three-year drought. However, the exhausted prophet became depressed and even suicidal when Queen Jezebel threatened his life (1 Kings 19). His downward spiral was temporary, but it was deep.
Stories like these include lessons too numerous to list here. But here’s something good to remember: Although low tide will come, it won’t last forever.
When I played baseball as a kid, I experienced a hitting slump one season. I remember my dad pointing out that I normally got on base one out of every three times at bat. So, if I struck out a few times, that meant I was almost certain to get a hit next time!
Jesus and the Disciples
Burnout is a very real problem for those in ministry. The devil portrays God as a slavedriver (Matthew 25:24), but that narrative is completely false. Instead of pushing us toward ever-greater burnout, Jesus sends exactly the opposite message:
“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Despite these beautiful assurances, there were times in Jesus’ ministry when He and the disciples were overwhelmed with busyness. During their crescendo of powerful ministry, multitudes of needy people were coming and going, and there wasn’t even time to eat.
How did Jesus handle this? Did He tell the disciples to just “get over it” and work harder to further His kingdom? Did He exhort these men to, once again, put the needs of others before their own?
If you’ve ever worked for a Christian ministry or nonprofit, you may have expected an approach like this. In contrast, Jesus gave His followers some wise and compassionate advice: “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:30-32).
Have you ever encountered a busy time like this? I surely have—many times, in fact. As happened with Jesus’ disciples, there’s a danger that our exhilarating BLESSINGS of fruitful ministry can eventually turn into ugly spiritual and emotional BURNOUT.
Perhaps another sports analogy will help to put this into perspective. Picture a basketball game in the third quarter. The score is very close, yet the coach takes his star player out of the game and sits him on the bench for a while. Was it because the player was having a bad game? Most likely, it was just the opposite: The coach wanted the star player to be at his best in the closing quarter of the game.
If you watch much basketball, you’ll sometimes see a player angry their coach forced them to rest for a few minutes. However, Jesus is a wise coach, and we can trust His directives. If we take time to listen, He’s certain to periodically make us rest (see Psalm 23:1-2).
Who’s to Blame?
The devil wants us to blame God for our burnout, but that would be a big mistake. Shockingly, the actual religious slavedriver is the devil himself! You see, religion apart from Jesus is inherently exhausting. And if we blame the Lord for our burnout, we’ll drift even further from Him—the very One who offers to heal our frayed emotions.
Usually, the secondary cause of our burnout is people-pleasing. Although we may sincerely think we’re burning out in service to God, often we’re just on a cruel treadmill of trying to impress people so we can feel better about ourselves.
If you find yourself on the edge of burnout today, take a step off the treadmill and regain your bearings. Make sure you’re being led by the Holy Spirit instead of unreasonable human expectations. As Psalm 46:10 commands, take time to “be still” and remember that He’s God—and you’re not!
Jesus’ interactions with His disciples demonstrated His realization that life is a marathon rather than a sprint. There’s nothing fast or frantic about abiding in Him, yet that was His prescription for bearing more fruit (John 15:5).
Let’s be clear: This is not a recommendation for laziness, self-centeredness, or inaction. The world is a very needy place, and I hope you’re engaged in some activities to make it better. And even though it’s painful to face, I hope God has opened your eyes to the reality of human suffering and your responsibility to help when you can.
But I also encourage you to learn the beauty of taking Jesus’s yoke and getting periodic rest breaks along the way. Perhaps this means a commitment to a weekly sabbath, or maybe it means scheduling a personal retreat. This is important, because YOU are important! Jesus loves you and wants to help you avoid or recover from burnout and cynicism.
As an old preacher used to say, “The reason Jesus said we must ‘come apart’ is because He didn’t want us to ‘fall apart’!”
I pray you will feel His loving embrace today. May you hear the tender call of the Bridegroom, “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away” (Song of Solomon 2:13). All true ministry starts with that!
