Every person is drawn together by one common enemy: burnout. It doesn't matter how much you enjoy your work, love the people around you or how much you earn. You are prone to get tired, exhausted and worn out by the pressures and demands of life.
Burnout is defined as the physical and mental exhaustion a person feels from running too long without adequate rest.
If we want to avoid burnout, then we have to be mindful of our bodies and take the time to rest. But that's not something that you've heard the first time. I'm sure your physician, spouse, kids or even your boss has told you to rest. But you just can't.
You think about the things that have to get done, what you might miss out if you rest, or the things that may pile up when you're on leave. Or maybe you're bothered because you've tried to rest multiple times but it just doesn't work. These are the two most common scenarios that burnout people battle with, feeling completely defeated.
We look at these situations and feel that we're out of ammunition and out of options.
But we're not. We always have the option of the grace of God.
Jesus gives us this powerful assurance in 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
God's grace is our best option at any given day. It's God's grace that sets things in motion even when we are not so that we can rest, take days off and even go on leave, assured that things will be fine—even better—by the time you get back to work.
It's God's grace that lets you enter full and meaningful rest not just for your body, but also for your soul and spirit because Jesus takes our heavy yokes and burdens.
God's grace is the best antidote to the weary. It's a great medicine that keeps us immune from burnout so as long as we remain in the unmerited yet generously given grace of God through Christ Jesus.
No, I'm not implying that the answer to your burnout is as easy as one, two, three. Trusting and remaining in the grace of God is hard work as well, but it is work that is more meaningful than any other. If we work hard at maintaining our lives, keeping bills paid, running the office and serving others, we should put in even more work into remaining with God.
If we make God's grace our number one priority, He will make things work out for us so that we won't have to work ourselves to the point of burnout. Matthew 6:33 reminds us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
