Mind Games part 5 - FROM BURNOUT to BALANCE
2022 survey found more than half of everyone surveyed felt BURNED OUT.
There is a difference between stress and burnout…
Stress is momentary - for a day or two… or until a project is done…
Burnout is chronic stress that never fades…
Isaiah 42:3b
3b A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Smoking flax - It is a candle that is “JUST BARELY LIT”…
- it used to be on fire…
- used to be a flame…
- now… just a bit of smoke…
- hardly anything left…
JESUS CAME FOR THOSE - BURNED OUT.
“Being weary does not mean you are weak…”
Jesus got tired… JESUS IS FULLY GOD and HE was FULLY MAN.
Exhaustion is not a sin.
Comparison and Contrast of 2 stories…TIRED JESUS and TIRED ELIJAH
THE NEGATIVE SIGNS OF BURNOUT…
1 Kings 19:1 - 9
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
DID GOD TELL HIM TO RUN? NO.
ELIJAH IS EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTED, SPIRITUALLY EXHAUSTED - THEN HE DOES SOMETHING OUT OF FEAR THAT GETS HIM PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED!
Elijah was trying to do it all…
Are u doing it because of FEAR or because of LOVE?
WHEN WE GET TO BURNOUT WE:
1. CHASE PEOPLE AWAY -
Elijah left his servant and went to be alone.
Chasing people away with our attitude, with our “FINE, I’LL DO IT MYSELF” mindset does not help.
1 Kings 19:4
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
2. CONSTANTLY COMPARING -
WHEN WE FEEL BURNED OUT… We put ourselves down mentally.
When you start comparing yourself to somebody else, you are setting yourself up for emotional burnout.
What you tend to do is compare your life with the accomplishments of other people: “I’m not doing enough.”
You compare your problems and your trials with the relatively easy lifestyle you think somebody else is having.
YOU ARE COMPARING YOUR BEHIND THE SCENES TO THEIR HIGHLIGHT REELS.
We either feel GUILTY / LAZY / ANGRY / PRIDEFUL / ARROGANT
or
WHEN WE FEEL BURNED OUT… We make excuses and get defensive…
When you are tired you start FIGHTING BATTLES THAT DO NOT MATTER TO DISTRACT YOU FROM THE BATTLES THAT REALLY DO MATTER!
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
3. CONTINUALLY CYNICAL -
SUCCESS = DID GOD SAY IT? - DID I DO IT? - IS HE PLEASED?
We cannot control what other people do… nor can we control everything that happens.
We need to STOP trying to be the general manager of the universe!
THE QUICKEST WAY TO LOSE YOUR PASSION IS TRY TO CONTROL EVERYTHING.
When you lose your passion - it is difficult to connect with His presence.
4. COMPLETELY CONCEDE -
Elijah said - “Just kill me.”
- You give up.
- You lose your vision.
When you start to burn out, you FORFEIT your FUTURE.
- You forget your goals.
You are so emotionally, physically, mentally, creatively and spiritually drained, you just want to give up.
- You stop caring.
You cannot always control your feelings, but you can control your
DO THE FOUR THINGS GOD TOLD ELIJAH TO DO TO GET OVER HIS BURNOUT.
PHYSICAL // EMOTIONAL // SPIRITUAL // CONNECTIVELY
GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR BURNOUT:
1. PHYSICALLY -
This deals with the physical side of burnout.
This is God’s first step.
God’s prescription.
1 Kings 19:5 - 8
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
You have got to practice some self-care in RESTING.
GOD’s first antidote was sleep and eat.
Psalm 127:2
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
7 TYPES OF REST:
Physical Rest - take a nap, get a massage, take a bath.
Mental Rest - turn off your phone, turn off social media, meditate scripture.
Emotional Rest - spending time alone, spending time in quiet in nature, self-care (doing things you enjoy that bring you life).
Sensory Rest - turning off tv, closing your eyes, being quiet.
Creative Rest - taking a break from work, not hobby, not helping, watching something funny etc.
Social Rest - get away from people, a walk by yourself, avoiding social situations.
Spiritual Rest - not reading the Bible to GET SOMETHING, but to hear from God, praying, talking, listening to God.
Vince Lombardi - “Fatigue makes cowards of all of us.”
- Never make a major decision when you are EXHAUSTED!
— It will almost always be wrong. - Wait until you have recharged.
2. EMOTIONALLY -
You cannot always choose what happens, you can choose how to deal with what you are dealt.
This deals with the emotional side of burnout.
Revealing what your feeling is, is the beginning of healing.
Any area of your life that you cannot talk about is out of control.
If you cannot talk about it, you cannot manage it.
Do not complain to other people, first talk to God.
Just say, “God, this is the way I feel.” Express your feelings, lay them all out.
1 Kings 19:9 - 10
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
Whenever you swallow your emotions, your INSIDES keep score!
If you do not talk it out - ESPCECIALLY WITH GOD - you are going to take it out on yourself OR SOMEONE ELSE in some way.
WHEN HE RELEASED ALL THESE EMOTIONS OF HOW HE FELT - God was not surprised.
Psalm 109:6 - 13 MSG
“Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge; dispatch Satan to prosecute him.
When he’s judged, let the verdict be “Guilty,” and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin. Give him a short life, and give his job to somebody else. Make orphans of his children, dress his wife in widow’s black;
Turn his children into begging street urchins, evicted from their homes—homeless. May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean. May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break. Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name.”
There is no emotion that you could express to God that is going to make Him stop loving you or make Him mad.
1 Peter 5:7 AMPC
7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
Throw your whole heart on Jesus.
ALL OF IT.
3. SPIRITUALLY -
1 Kings 19:11 - 13
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
When you start:
- acting as if God does not matter
- like you have to make it all work
- that you are in charge
- you are in control
- you are the manager of your life
You are setting yourself up for burnout.
God says “I want you to focus on Me. I have got the power.”
The secret of my endurance:
Proverbs 14:26a TLB
26a “Reverence for God gives a man deep strength.”
4. CONNECTIVELY -
Stop thinking about yourself all the time.
Start thinking about others who can use your help, support, love, care.
God did not put you on this earth just to live for yourself.
1 Kings 19: 15 - 16
15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
Matthew 10:39 NIV
39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Elijah needed to get his eyes off himself.
Today you may be burned out… You are never going to get well by introspection alone.
You have got to get outside of yourself.
You have to find a ministry, find a place to serve.
Use your talents.
Stop just focusing on yourself and start focusing on helping others and that will bring the joy back.
- Joy comes from service.
- Satisfaction comes from service.
- Significance comes from service.
- Self-esteem comes from service.
This is God’s recovery plan: but you have to work on all four dimensions:
- Physical
- Spiritual
- Emotional
- Relational
First, get the physical act together. Maybe you need to rearrange your schedule. Get more rest. You have been trying to burn the candle at both ends.
Then you do the emotional. You unplug and talk about what you are feeling and you tell God what you really feel. Maybe you tell it to a friend or counselor or someone in your small group.
Then you refocus the center of your life around Jesus Christ because He is God and you are not. The more you try to play God the more frustrated you are going to get.
Then you get involved in helping somebody else. Get your eyes off yourself.