Burnout is an awful thing. You feel awful and misery loves company. It's more than exhaustion and you need more than a vacation to get over it. I have a good friend who is a colonel in the armed forces. He's a doctor in psychiatry and is currently working in a very important position. I asked him recently his thoughts on this subject. His reply was that most people will not seek help or reach out to others. Instead people tend to find greater comfort in remaining professionally and personally isolated. What ensues is a decrease in the quality of ministry (or quality of life) and a sense of "entitlement" which sparks all kinds of aberrant behavior.
Now we were talking about pastors in general. But I can identify this in everyone else. That last line really caught my attention, "a sense of 'entitlement'". We feel justified to do whatever because we just don't care anymore. We are burned out - so we sing Que Sera, Sera Whatever Will Be, Will Be. That is dumb theology. God has a plan that should excite our soul and put a fire in our belly. Giving up on our blessings is nothing more than Satans plan to ruin your joy and steal your strength.
If your past is stressed out and you're are on your way into deep burnout... You need help. There is no shame in admitting this. I am telling you right now that I am coming out of a time of burnout. It was miserable - and misery loves company. But I didn't like the company I was keeping so I changed things. So can you and I want to help. For those of you who got a handout last Sunday, my cell phone number is in there - call me. For anyone else - click the contact button at the top and email me. I promise I will respond.
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