Rested In His Presence

“Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31, NLT)

“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” (Luke 5:16, NLT)

“After sending them home, he [Jesus] went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23, NLT)

As an extroverted doer, I love accomplishing a multitude of things with many people. Spending time in solitude and rest? No way—these things are not my jam. However, being a ministry leader for over two decades has taught me that if I am not careful, I can wear my mind, heart, and body out. This happens when I am not diligent in taking time to rest and practice the discipline of solitude while in God’s presence. Unfortunately, I have walked through several seasons of ministry burnout. These seasons were not fun, nor are they what God wanted me to experience!

Ministry burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion that a servant leader can experience. This state causes them to doubt their own competence. Or burnout causes them to wonder if their ministry efforts or results are of value and if they matter to those they serve.

This is why pastors and other ministry leaders can suffer from bouts of burnout. The demands of ministry are many. Ministry isn’t a 20- to 40-hour “job” per week to be clocked in and out of. In fact, ministry is never-ending because it is people driven. This is why we must take burnout seriously.

If left unchecked, burnout causes discouragement, feeling rejection and sadness, or it can cause a person of influence to walk away from their calling altogether. This is why women of influence need community in their lives, so that others can encourage and pray for them or hold them accountable to rest if they experience burnout.

Whether we are in a paid staff or volunteer position, we are prone to experiencing burnout. This is why we must remember how Jesus handled the stressors of His earthly ministry. Thankfully, Jesus never experienced burnout even though the ministry needs around Him were great!

Ironically, Jesus would sometimes walk away from doing more ministry. Instead, He would often go to a secluded place to pray, listen, and rest in His Father’s presence. By doing so, the human part of Jesus gained the wisdom, rest, and rejuvenation needed to persevere in the calling God had given Him.

The example Jesus gives us is carrying out the work of ministry AND solitude. He did not model carrying out the work of the ministry and NO solitude. I encourage you to guard against living in continual states of busyness with little to no time spent in solitude and in God’s presence. If your lifestyle becomes the latter, burnout is sure to follow. The following tips are what I aim to maintain to avoid future seasons of burnout. May they guide and help you to do the same!

Solutions to Burnout:

• Set and maintain boundaries in ministry and in your personal life.
• Guard your time with God daily and pray frequently.
• Exercise frequently and get adequate sleep nightly.
• Take time off and enjoy a weekly Sabbath day of rest.
• Have other hobbies and cultivate friendships that are unrelated to your ministry.
• Say no or have someone else say no for you.
• Talk with your team or boss to re-evaluate workload and expectations.
• Stay in a trustworthy and godly community for empathy, support, encouragement, and accountability. Consider including some nonfamily members outside of your area of influence in your ministry within your circle of accountability.

Reflect:

Have you experienced a season of burnout? What caused this to happen? If you have not experienced burnout, what tips above do you need to incorporate to avoid it? What are one or two specific ways you can begin to do so today?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, help me discern when I am trying to do too much. Help me to slow down, rest, and trust that being still in Your presence is a gift and a necessity. Amen.