Episode 109: Battling Burnout

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a gradual moving towards a place of feeling overwhelmed, out of sorts, and worn out. Typically, burnout is defined as:

• Exhausted or drained of energy.

• Hopeless and unmotivated

• Detached

• Cynical or negative

• Feeling a sense of failure and like what we do is never enough.

There’s a difference between being tired and burnt out. According to the organization Work to Live, “Fatigue doesn’t cause an absence of positive emotions or hijack the mind with false beliefs and bleak thoughts. Being tired is a temporary issue. Burnout crowds our positive emotions with all-negative, all-the-time.”

There’s a strategy in Nehemiah that deals with burnout in a powerful way.

In Nehemiah 4:4-6 we see the Jew’s enemies speaking against them in mocking voices. This began to break down the worker’s confidence and stamina to succeed.

Burn Out Truth #1: The enemy will begin with demoralization. Once he has accomplished this, the strength of the workers is diminished.

Even though the Jews had a mind to work, and they knew their purpose was to restore the wall (and dignity) of Jerusalem, the weight of the burden and the size of the task began to take its toll.

Burn Out Truth #2: The enemy spotlights the weight of the burden while God spotlights His purpose and covering.

The Bible says, “The strength of the burden-bearers is failing” (Nehemiah 4:10). This team could only see the hardship, the struggle, and the rubbish (vs. 10)! When we’re in a state of burnout we often don’t see and hear the right truth.

Burn Out Truth #3: When you’re hitting against the wall of burnout, make sure you tell someone you trust who can pray for you and cover you.

The Jews told their leader the way they were feeling, and a plan resulted from their honesty. Nehemiah stationed people in various places with various tools. This overcame the burn out and reinvigorated the workers for the task at hand. In 52 days, the wall was complete!

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