Burnout. Destress with Jesus

 Are you a free person or a slave? Not only third world labourers or trafficked prostitutes are enslaved.

A manager who has no life apart from his work has no freedom. How many exhausted businessmen or doctors retire and die soon after?

There are also busy housewives who never stop doing everything for their family. Their children may be emotionally neglected because their mother is busy with domestic duties all the time.

There are also devout Christians who are enslaved by their religion.
In the Ten Commandments, we read that one day of every week should be a holy day. We need time off and rest, but there are Christians who are enslaved by Saturday or Sunday duties.

A well-known preacher built up a large church with God's help. Many Christians were blessed and countless people came to faith.

The preacher was involved in his ministry every day. He was particularly busy on Saturday and Sunday. He knew that he could not do everything in his own strength, and he prayed a lot. He refuelled himself daily and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

But not everything was all right. His wife became very unhappy, and his marriage began to falter.

He was a good Christian, and he asked for God's help. God showed him that he should have a day of rest every Monday and restore his relationship with his wife.

A few years ago, I worked as a language teacher and was also active in the church. I went to church twice every Sunday. I drove a minibus on Sunday mornings and I sometimes preached in the evening.

But my father was very old and I only visited him once a month. Then I realised that I had neglected my father.

We need balance. Even Christian discipleship can become slavery.

The Pharisees were chained to their religion, and so can we be.

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
For God said, ‘Honour your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’

But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’
they are not to ‘honour their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. Mt 15:1–6 NIV

We need balance and relaxation.

I graduated from university over 50 years ago. I was looking for a change and worked as a taxi driver for a year. We need variety and relaxation. Before the Covid pandemic, many young Europeans travelled to Australia and worked in restaurants or on wineries.

If you have a good car, you don't have to buy a new car often. Many cars stay in good condition for ten years. But a car that is used as a taxi around the clock will break down after a few years.

Many preachers are overworked in ministry, and many suffer from burnout. German culture is very duty-orientated, and many Germans suffer from burnout.

Do you feel like you're on a treadmill? Can't you escape your duties? Many suffer like this, even the few minutes of supposed free time are poisoned by worries and anxieties.

You urgently need a holiday. Your Christian conscience teaches you to pray, but where do you find the time to pray? Even prayer becomes a duty and work.

Jesus is calling you.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28 NASB95

Jesus can help you with your worries. He can give you insight so that you understand which supposed duties are not necessary.

When you going through life with God's love, you can often enjoy a few minutes of downtime. Instead of thinking about your worries and duties all the time, you can indulge in a sweet daydream.

We need time out

 Some years ago I went to church twice every Sunday, but I felt guilty. I went to church three times a week, but I only visited my elderly father once a month.

For many Christians, holidays and meetings have become a tiring occupation. You can keep the Sabbath strictly, but never relax.

For some Christians, relaxation is a sin. They must always make an effort to do something good and necessary, always make an effort. Doing nothing would be idleness. Sleeping late means being lazy.

But if you are overwhelmed, traumatised, even exhausted, you need real time out. 

Otherwise, you could end up in hospital. For some, that seems like a great shame, but this shame is not helpful.

If you need help and rest, you need help and rest.
But shouldn't we only expect God to help us?

Sure, but if our wrong Christian attitude has only continually involved us in duty and effort, and if we find little support or understanding in the church, then God provides us with other resources.

There are Christians who are misguided by non-believing therapists, but there are also Christians who find more understanding and help in psychiatry than in the church.

Thank God for good churches, good counsellors and for miraculous healings! 

But I also thank God for good clinics, good doctors and good treatment.  

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: Ec 3:1 NKJV

Work, prayer, study, practical charity: there is a right time for everything, but there is also a time when doing nothing and thinking are vital.

I find rest in God; only he can save me. Ps 62:1 NCV

JESUS GIVES YOU PEACE AND REST

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28 NASB

 

Jesus promised to give you rest. Are you resting enough?

I was very busy. On Friday after work I was very tired, and then I spent the whole weekend doing good Christian things. Then I went to work tired on Monday. 
 
The Ten Commandments commanded the Jews to rest from work on the seventh day. Some Christians still observe the seventh day and others keep Sunday as holy but whichever day you keep holy, you can be too busy honouring God but not resting.
 
One of the great Christian leaders of our time is Yonggi Cho, the great Pentecostal church leader in Korea. 
 
He experienced a crisis when his wife became very unhappy. He prayed about it and God told him he was not observing the principle of the Sabbath rest. The issue was not over the correct day, whether Saturday or Sunday. The problem was that he was busy in ministry 7 days a week. 
 
God told him to relax and spend time with his wife on Mondays. When he did that, his wife was happy and his ministry continued to be blessed. 

You may devote most of your weekend to God but are you resting?
Jesus promised to give you rest but YOU cannot enjoy that gift if you do not spend time just resting. Jesus offers rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Mt 11:29–30 NRSV


For many years I was active in churches until I realised that busy Sundays were a burden and not a blessing. I felt bound by duty to attend Sunday services morning and night. 

Then I was convicted by the Holy Spirit, who reminded me that I was not visiting my ageing father often enough. Church twice on Sunday was leading me into the sin of not properly honouring my father. 

Then I went to lovely Spirit filled meetings most Friday nights and I went to meetings two or three Sundays a month but Sunday church was no longer a binding law for me.

Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. Romans 14:4-5 (ESV) 

And what about your relaxation? Are you really relaxing when you watch TV? So much modern recreation is not rest but restless distraction which subtly takes us away from God. I am not a legalist and I watch funny TV programs sometimes but in small doses.
 
And then there is sleep. Are you tired from lack of sleep? I often am, and I am trying to correct that. 

 

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved. Ps 127:2 NRSV

If you sleep enough and you go to sleep in the presence and the love of God, He will supernaturally bless you in the night in your bed. This is how I have received some of my greatest blessings. 

There are even some people who have dreamed about going on missions to other countries. There are people who believe they were actually sent to those places in the Spirit. I believe God can do all things. Why not?