Exactly this time last week, I should have been writing to you as I usually do but I took that time off to continue with my fellowship with my father. With all the signs I was seeing, I realized I had reached my threshold, I was beginning to feel easily overwhelmed at work, I was easily irritated, easily angered, I was not bearing the juicy fruit of the Spirit my father requires or rather expects me to bear. Therefore, I resorted to doing what I know how to do, I stayed, I resided in my father’s presence for a couple of days uninterrupted, undistracted, I replugged to my source. As always, I came out of that place feeling revived, rejuvenated and strengthened.
I recognize that physical, mental or spiritual burnout is something that happens to so many of us we more than often tend to address it superficially. Hence, another cycle of burnout may spring up so quickly than we are able to deal with. In my opinion burnouts spiral from a perpetual state of feeling overwhelmed with life, work or anything in general. And there can be different triggers for burnouts, particularly I have noticed with myself that I easily slip into a state of burnout when I feed my flesh way more than I feed my spirit man. True to God’s word, a healthy physical and mental state of mind starts from our spirit – a crushed spirit dries up the bones – Proverbs 17:22. Therefore, a good place to start in overcoming or dealing with burnout is to identify those triggers and try to nib it in the bud as much as you can.
But if you are unable to nib it as much as you would want to and you unfortunately slip into that state where you feel heavily burdened and suppressed with the cares of life, the best place to unburden is in the Lord’s presence because He alone gives lasting peace and strength. In different notes from the Lord in the bible, He tells us about casting our burdens unto Him, He tells us about renewing our strength by waiting upon Him. Our dear father definitely foresaw moments when we would feel burned out and hence He provided us a way out. It is up to us to take the solution He has provided- to cast all our burdens in those moments unto Him. God’s word is Ye and Amen and He has told us for sure in Psalms 55:22 that when we cast our burdens unto Him, peace is guaranteed and more so His righteous children will never be shaken nor would we fall. I find the last part of this verse so powerful!!! God has promised us for sure that we would not be shaken or thrown under by the cares or burdens of this life given that we play our own part. First we have to take on the title – righteous. Jesus Christ is our righteousness, therefore we cannot attain righteousness without first believing in Him, and confessing Him as Lord and savior. Furthermore, casting all of your burdens to Jehovah goes a long way in helping to overcome mental, physical and spiritual burnout
Finally, God also tells that when we wait upon Him, our strength He would renew and we would mount up with wings like an eagle – Isaiah 40:31. This is exactly what I did last weekend, I waited upon the Lord while I cast all of my burdens unto the Lord till I heard and saw the crack of dawn. As I wrap up, I would take the liberty to share the testimony of my friend who more or less had been in a similar place I was just before last week. This was beginning to take a toll on our friendship as well and other of her relationships. We had our usual long conversations twice this week which has not happened in a very long time. And we could attest to the fact that the turn around for her began from her extensive and deliberate action to wait upon the Lord.
More often than we may admit, burn out leads to so many adverse realities we see in the world today such as depression, angry relationships, bitterness, severed relationships, unhappy or depressed humans and so on. My admonition for you and to you today is to abide in Christ while you allow Him abide in you, wait upon the Lord while you allow Him renew your strength and finally cast your burdens unto Him. He cares for you and doesn’t want you to burn out.