We needed to do this post in case the last post did not make clear what Elijah suffered from. It resulted in depression for that great man of God, who had been able to call down fire from heaven. We observed that as a result, his ministry was cut short. So, the purpose of this post is to make it clear that, unlike Elijah, you need to avoid burnout. That’s just another, more modern word for what we used to refer to as extreme exhaustion. It is part of what we need to consider on our journey to Divine Health.
This particular topic came to me from a man I met when I was still pastoring a church. You may know that Sunday is not a day for rest for pastors. What with waking up earlier to pray about the service to waiting to greet worshippers, Pastors’ Sundays are extremely busy. And we have not included the preaching or praying or counseling. That is why most pastors take Mondays off while some choose Saturdays. We do that so that we can live long and healthy enough to accomplish our divine assignment.
In any case, on this fateful Sunday, I went into an electronics store with our music director to pick up some equipment. There was another man, not a pastor, and we started chatting. I counseled him to avoid burnout and he smiled. It turned out he had just survived an episode of burnout! And the man was still working 24/7. Can you imagine? It is like surviving cancer and returning to the burn-pit that gave you the cancer in the first place. How silly can one get?
Even God Took A Day Off
That’s right, even the Almighty God took a day off. He worked 24/6, not 24/7 like many of us. And you are not the almighty, not even slightly mighty. So, what makes you think you can work round the clock and not suffer? What makes you think you are so special to word 24/7 and still avoid burnout? Doctors would tell you that is foolishness.
We all need to rest and if that man in the electronics store does not learn, his body will teach him. He will learn the hard way when he ends up in hospital again. And even if he does not end up dying prematurely, his achievements will be lower. If it is somebody in ministry, imagine his regret when he arrives in heaven. That is, if he arrives at all. We owe it to our maker not to undo the great work He did when He created us.
So, someone who does not take time to avoid burnout may not even make it to heaven. I am not saying he will not arrive for sure but why take the risk? Just give yourself time to rest like your maker who took a day off in the first week. Depending on your job, you can choose which day to take off. But please don’t work 24/7. Do all in you power to make your schedule no more than 24/6.
God Did Not Rest To Avoid Burnout
Now, we know that the reason God rested was not avoid burnout. God cannot suffer from burnout. He is Almighty God, the one who does not grow weary or faint. We saw in an earlier post the reason God rested. He who cannot grow tired rested. Think about that for a moment. Why did he rest? He did it as an example for us to follow.
And when we refuse to follow his example, it is like disobeying God. When we work 24/7, we are actually saying we are smarter and wiser than God. That is a great insult, don’t you think? I choose to stop insulting God, regardless of how attractive the pay is for working at all hours. And then of course, there is the health aspect. I want to avoid burnout at all costs. I hope you can join me
To your health!
Maranatha!
