Why You’re Burned Out (And How To Avoid It)
Good Day Worshippers
This article was taken from David Santistevan Blog
Just the other day I was talking to a worship leader friend of mine. I was always encouraged being around him. His perspective on ministry and life was energizing.
But something was different about him this day.
He was tired. Where once there was a spark in his eye and a skip in his step, now seemed to be nothing but exhaustion. Ministry was no longer a joy. He was burned out.
We’re all prone to this sort of burn out. Matter of fact, you may be burned out and not even realize it. You’re so accustomed to it that you can’t see the fires of exhaustion all around you. Burn out has become like a toxic friend that you hang out with because they’ve always been there…and, there’s no one else around.
Signs of burn out are numerous. Here are a few:
- You’d rather not show up for the events that you lead
- You’re content with just getting the “bare minimum” done
- The Gospel is a “been there done that” speech
- Altar calls no longer apply to you
- You constantly feel behind
- Retirement is the most exciting event on the horizon
- Your day to day tasks don’t inspire you
In this post I want to help you. If your burned out, I want to get you out. If you’re not, this post still applies to you because you need to be proactive about avoiding it.
I believe having a passion for your day-to-day work is important to a healthy life. Why spend most of your life doing something you hate?
It’s common for people in ministry to lose their spark. Since the calling is so lofty (reach the world), we push ourselves hard to accomplish it – at the expense of our health and our families. We find our identity in the work rather than allowing our work to flow from our identity.
I don’t think that’s how God intended us to live. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t care for anyone. If you don’t take care of your family, no one will. If you don’t focus on crafting an exciting, energizing life, it won’t happen.
6 Tips For Avoiding Burn Out
Here are a few tips to help you avoid (or get yourself out) of burn out and start to enjoy doing God’s work for God’s glory.1. Organize Your Calendar – The majority of burn out and stress comes from a disorganized calendar. You know in your subconscious that something isn’t right. You miss appointments. You don’t approach each day with a clear vision of what you’re doing. Here’s my suggestion: Block off two hours this week and organize your calendar. Schedule time for rest, relaxation, family, work projects, exercise, eating, reviewing finances, meetings – basically everything that is important to you. If you don’t schedule it, you’ll feel behind and stressed out.
2. Institute a Weekly Review – It’s so important every week that you align yourself with your life’s mission. You want everything on your calendar to contribute to what is most important. And if you don’t review it, it doesn’t happen. I wrote a post on the Weekly Review for creatives. I would check that out.
3. Do Scary Things – Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I think this is fantastic advice, provided you don’t do something stupid like jump off a bridge. For example, I am starting a new podcast very soon. That scares me. I am speaking at a few conferences this year. That scares me. And that’s exactly why I need to do them. Taking risks keeps you fresh – trusting in God’s ability to work through you.
4. Define What Success Is - If you don’t define what success is, you’ll never reach it. You’ll live your life comparing yourself to others and chasing after more and more success. Since your identity is in your work, you’ll never be satisfied and you’ll run yourself into the ground. I once heard Mike Bickle say that burn out happens when you try to live in another man (or woman’s) anointing. Be grateful for your talents, your gifting, and the portion of grace you have received from God.
5. Empower Others – It’s quite possible that you are doing too much. Honestly, that can feel good. You’re needed by a lot of people. You’re the rescuer who steps into situations and saves the day. Eventually this will wear on you and slow progress. You can’t be the Savior of every situation. Rather, empower others to tackle projects and take action. Instead of taking on more stuff, raise others up to do it better than you ever could.
6. Pray This Every Day – Every morning, make this your prayer:
“Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Psalm 119:33-37).
It’s remarkable what happens when you pray and turn your heart towards God every morning. Cry out for your life to be aligned in His ways – to do His will and live for His glory.
What about you? How do you avoid burn out, keep your life organized, and your heart alive?
"WorshipHim In The Beauty Of His Holiness"
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