Spiritual Burn-out
Are you feeling that there is something amiss in your spiritual life? You get this funny feeling that there is some thing wrong but you are not able to nail down what it is. Lack of motivation! finding yourself pushing too hard, but constantly fire fighting, juggling options, struggling to meet deadlines, trying out different strategies in work & missions but most of them falling flat, hundreds of things to do but not able to concentrate on one, feels as if people are expecting too much from you and dumping their work on you, of lately has lost your cool often, that too on trivial matters especially on your family; not able to enjoy your quiet time and your conversations with your wife is progressively getting to monosyllables, feel as if your children are craving too much of your time and attention,suddenly there is a feeling of insecurity and anxiousness; there is this premonition that you are on a performance track or on a rat race trying to out-smart, out-scheme and out-class you peers. Wait a minute! Gosh what are you talking about? Good Christians don't do that kind of stuff, that is Sin!
You long to go back to that first love, those days when there was a praise in your mouth, spring in your walk, and a smile on your lips, enjoyed the work and found amazing joy in the presence of the Lord and sharing Him with others. You wonder what went wrong? Deep within us we wish that we could correct and get back and we constantly try. Sounds too familiar? Beware you are not far away from a "Spiritual burnout".
Most of us growing up might be familiar with the Kit Kat add which says, "take a break, have a kit kat". It is kind of a no brainer ,but it is good to keep this formula in mind, not to have a Kit Kat but to take a break from all that you are busy with now. The break is not a vacation or a luxury trip to some paradise island, once in a while that is a good idea, in fact we need to have it for our physical and mental well being but the break that I am talking about is to be In His presence. What? I do that all the time. I have a systematic and regular Bible study and prayer life? Is that a break? you might ask.
Well the break that I am suggesting is to be "still" in God's presence, spending unhurried time with the creator and sustainer of your life. This probably might be the most difficult thing for a mission worker to do as he is always busy, doing activities, attending meetings, traveling, speaking and running ministry probably all those might be important things, I am not devaluing any of it. But the most crucial thing that God wants us to do is to be "still" in His presence. It is like filling up our empty and dry reservoir from which we have drained out every bit of power. We need that back desperately, King David longed for it when he cried out in Psalm 27: 4, "One thing I have asked of the Lord that I desire, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life". That's one thing that could make all the difference, the one thing that make us alive; to be in His presence, to enjoy that fellowship with Him.
Again he exclaims in Psalm 16:11b "In your presence is fullness of Joy". One critical thing that many of us find missing in our mission work is that 'fullness of Joy' in serving Him, we are finding it more of a drudgery, a burden, frustrating at times, drained out and weak. Some of us might be just going through the motions of ministry. Moses understood the crucial nature of being in God's presence when he said in Exodus 33: 15, "If your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here". Jesus emphasized this powerful truth in John 15:5b when He said for apart from me you can do nothing. This is what marks a believer, this is the distinguishing feature for a missionary. Abiding in God's presence and drawing upon His resources.We have a amazing promise in Isaiah 40:31, "but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Take a break and Be still in His presence!
Well the break that I am suggesting is to be "still" in God's presence, spending unhurried time with the creator and sustainer of your life. This probably might be the most difficult thing for a mission worker to do as he is always busy, doing activities, attending meetings, traveling, speaking and running ministry probably all those might be important things, I am not devaluing any of it. But the most crucial thing that God wants us to do is to be "still" in His presence. It is like filling up our empty and dry reservoir from which we have drained out every bit of power. We need that back desperately, King David longed for it when he cried out in Psalm 27: 4, "One thing I have asked of the Lord that I desire, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life". That's one thing that could make all the difference, the one thing that make us alive; to be in His presence, to enjoy that fellowship with Him.
Again he exclaims in Psalm 16:11b "In your presence is fullness of Joy". One critical thing that many of us find missing in our mission work is that 'fullness of Joy' in serving Him, we are finding it more of a drudgery, a burden, frustrating at times, drained out and weak. Some of us might be just going through the motions of ministry. Moses understood the crucial nature of being in God's presence when he said in Exodus 33: 15, "If your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here". Jesus emphasized this powerful truth in John 15:5b when He said for apart from me you can do nothing. This is what marks a believer, this is the distinguishing feature for a missionary. Abiding in God's presence and drawing upon His resources.We have a amazing promise in Isaiah 40:31, "but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Take a break and Be still in His presence!
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