Burnout

Roads That Lead to Christian Burnout, Part 4

By SharperIron Mon, 09/10/2007 - 1:00am

Wrong Road #4—The Road to Nowhere

Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

by Debi Pryde

The fourth path to burnout is one that is more difficult to identify. Most people believe they are on the right road until they’ve traveled quite a distance. Everything looks great until they round the bend and finds themselves in the middle of nowhere. That’s when the road gets bumpy, the weather turns nasty, the terrain abruptly turns from beautiful to ugly, pryde_roadtonowhere.jpgand they can hardly see where they’re going because of all the fog. It’s easy to stop and hope the weather improves—but it doesn’t. And stopping only leaves them in that mess longer. More difficult, there are all kinds of detours and splits in the road, and it’s sometimes quite challenging deciding which way to go.

Servants on this road to nowhere need to consult their map, to get out a compass, and to determine which direction leads them out of these endless dead ends. The more they depend on their instincts to choose the right direction, the more lost and confusing the road becomes. They won’t emerge from the fog until they ignore their instincts, trust the compass, and obey it. It might take awhile to get back on track, but once they’re headed in the right direction, it’s only a matter of time before the fog is gone and the road to nowhere is behind them.
read more

  • 463 reads

Roads That Lead to Christian Burnout, Part 3

By SharperIron Mon, 09/03/2007 - 1:00am

Wrong Road #3—Malnourishment

Read Part 1 and Part 2.

by Debi Pryde

The third road to burnout is one without restaurants, without warmly furnished kitchens and dining rooms, and without refreshing drinking fountains available to its travelers. The traveler finds only fast-food restaurants, leftovers, and prepackaged food available on this route. Such food can keep one alive but never impart health or cause a weary traveler pryde_trees.jpgto thrive with energy. A steady diet of it quickly eroded one’s health and lead to all kinds of weakness and limitation. Christian workers commit a grave error if they believe they can stay spiritually alive and enthusiastic by feasting on books, sermons, seminars, and radio broadcasts while neglecting personal Bible study. Reading Our Daily Bread has never been a substitute for coming to the Bread of Life for daily spiritual nourishment.
read more

  • 455 reads

Roads That Lead to Christian Burnout, Part 2

By SharperIron Mon, 08/27/2007 - 7:59am

Wrong Road #2—Relationship Deficiency

Read Part 1.

by Debi Pryde

A second road takes workers to a place called “burnout.” This path looks inviting because it isn’t crowded. There are no family cars on this road—nothing but single-passenger vehicles. Everyone’s in a hurry to get where he is going, so there’s no lingering, no time for making friends, no time to ask anyone for directions, and no time to listen to others talk. People pryde_roads.jpgwho travel this route don’t take time to get close to anyone, including their own family members. Consequently, relationships tend to be superficial; there’s no time to cultivate genuine, mutual intimacy. Acquaintances and admirers may be many but companions few. Sadly, this solo style of traveling tends to have its greatest impact on family relationships—even worse on one’s relationship with the Lord.
read more

  • 1303 reads

Roads That Lead to Christian Burnout, Part 1

By SharperIron Wed, 08/22/2007 - 1:00am

by Debi Pryde

When a Christian worker describes himself as “burned out,” he is usually expressing a sense of having exhausted all of his available physical, mental, or spiritual resources. Those in such a state of mind find it a fitting analogy to compare themselves to a candle that has burned to the place of consuming itself, its flame flickering in its final moments before pryde_road01.jpgextinguishing with a faint puff of smoke. We often use such colorfully descriptive words when continual hardship, fatigue, or weariness of mind have begun to severely erode our sense of purpose, enthusiasm, or resilience to opposition. Just as often, however, we use the same expression to describe a wearisome monotony that can be associated with continual boredom, a lack of challenging goals, unfulfilled expectations, or continual dependence on self rather than on Christ.

“Burnout” or weariness can be caused by one or many underlying problems. It can be the result of something as simple as prolonged physical fatigue or as complex as having chosen wrong goals, motives, or priorities. Sometimes it is a problem that can be resolved rather easily with appropriate encouragement, adjustments in one’s daily routines, or information that provides a new or better perspective. Finding more effective ways to understand and resolve problems, making changes that alleviate unnecessary burdens, or redirecting one’s energy and focus more constructively can produce a dramatic difference in one’s outlook and enthusiasm for Christian service.
read more

  • 749 reads