Burn out is when you take on more than you are called to and as a result you crash. It is a subtle weapon of the enemy to make you major on the minor and minor on the major. It at one point in my life almost took over my existence here on earth. So bad that it made me want to attempt suicide right on the mission field. Yes while on the mission field! Ministry was successful on the outside, but i was dying slowly on the inside. I had slowly but surely allowed ministry to define my relationship with God, rather than God defining my relationship with Him. So i served, until i was running on empty! I had neglected my own spiritual growth and intimacy with God, i only sought Him for a message to preach, or for others . It got to a point my passion became a burden to me. Praise God for the mercy of God that made me know something was just not right and also delivered me from this stronghold i allowed assess into my life. Praise God for the grace, wisdom and strength of God i have received and still receiving after such experience.
Missionaries/ Ministers need to take heed.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:1-5
Thomas Merton defines Burnout : ” To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is so succumb to violence. A violence within!”
There are various form of burnout- spiritual, physical, emotional, relational.
In the words of Halleluyah Ajayi “I’ve watched flames go out of burning woods and embers covered with ashes because nothing remains that can burn. As ministers of the gospel, we must understand that it’s possible to experience burnout because we’re always giving out fire, every time we preach, minister to the sick, do discipleship, go on mission trips, evangelize, counsel a single mother, or pray for someone on the phone etc. What we don’t realize is, we sometimes neglect one self and this can lead to a state of spiritual, emotional and physical exhaustion and frustration. If we’ll escape burnout, then we need to heed to Isaiah’s instruction: ” they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as the eagle, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint “Isaiah 40:31.
THANK YOU LORD.