HDWN? How to deal with Biblical burnout

Happy Tuesday, my brothas and sistas! We made it through Monday! Go us!

We’re officially 7 months through the year - we’re over 50% done with 2024!!! Isn’t that wild?! I feel like we just started!

I know for me it’s usually around mid-way through the year and the holiday season that I begin to feel burned out… I start to fizzle a little bit. My Bible doesn’t seem to be opened as many times as it should be. Prayers seem muffled and confused. Weariness and doubt wrap around my ankles leaving me unable to take leaps of faith, or really even baby steps. My spiritual well starts to run dryer and dryer. Based on the blog & podcast requests I’ve been receiving, it seems that some of you readers feel this way as well. This week, we’re going to talk all about how to get through a Biblical burnout.

What is Biblical burnout? How do you even know if it’s something you’re dealing with? Spiritual or Biblical burnout can be described as physical/emotional/mental exhaustion, decreased motivation, negative attitude toward yourself or others, or diminishing passion. A number of different circumstances can lead to spiritual burnout - stress from an intense situation or life in general, a break-up, loss of a friend or career, spiritual warfare, and the list can go on. Heck, sometimes you can even be doing so well that you get burned out, because the fame, money, lifestyle,  or social media following or likes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

If you’re on the verge of feeling this way, or if you’re nothing but smoldering ashes, let’s fan a new flame together. 

#1: Acknowledge it.

The first step in solving any problem is acknowledging that there is, in fact, a problem. And what you’ve probably heard is true - the first step is always the hardest. Acknowledging the burn out isn’t always easy. Ever ask a friend how they’re doing, and even though they might be up to their neck in trouble, they reply, “Oh, I’m just fine! I’m good.” 

Here’s the thing: God already knows the innermost workings of our heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7, we are told that while humans see and comprehend what is on the outside, the Lord is able to peer into the heart and know what lies within. Those complicated feelings we have? Yeah, God already knows them. He is quite literally waiting on us to say, “Hey God… I don’t feel so good right now. Can we talk about it?”

It’s uncomfortable to say how we actually feel. The good news is that there are a number of Biblical characters that were super honest with God when it came to what they were feeling - good and bad. Just look at all of David’s witings in Psalms! One psalm, he’s on top of the world, and the next he’s in the deepest darkest valley of the soul. Just check out these quotes from some of your favorite Bible heroes:

Already, here are 4 examples: David, Hannah, Elijah, and Job. Guess what? There’s an entire Bible more! Each of these people specifically say their hard feelings, their discomfort, and their reality. And we can, too.

#2: Take it back to the basics.

Let’s follow through with Elijah’s story. After he opens up to God about how he’s feeling, what happens? How does God respond to Elijah’s smoldering burn out? God made sure that Elijah was rested and fed. You heard me right - God gave Elijah rest and food. In 1 Kings 19:3-9, God sent an angel down to Elijah to give him an important, divine message: “Eat. Now.” Elijah was falling in and out of sleep, and while his mind was getting rest, his body also needed fuel. God, being the ultimate provider, gives Elijah food and water. You know what, God didn’t just give him a mediocre snack either. God prepared him a loaf of bread baked over hot stones and an entire jug of water. Y’all let that sink in…. Elijah literally says, “God, I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t feel like me, and I don’t feel good. I’m just done with all of this. I can’t do it anymore.” And God LITERALLY OVERFLOWS with grace and mercy and love. God gives him a hot meal. God literally is like, “Hey man, I get it. Let’s get you some food, huh? Talk over a meal? Why don’t you take some time to rest up, eat a hot meal, and just breathe.”

Sometimes when I’m going through some intense Biblical burnout, I like to remember the story of Elijah and act on it.

• Be honest with God about what you’re feeling - whether that’s bitterness, resentment, exhaustion, confusion, you name it.

• Eat something. No, I don’t just mean stuff your face with oreos (although, that is super tempting). Sit down in a quiet place and picnic with the Lord. I’m serious! Settle down, get some good food, and invite the Lord into your meal. The best conversations happen over a meal, right?

• Get rest. This is important. Get. Some. Sleep. Give your body and mind grace.

God knows exactly what you need, from the simple need of bread and water to the complexity of your dreams when you sleep. There is nothing too simple or complex for Him to handle and provide for.

#3: Fan the flame.

Have you ever tried to start a fire from scratch or rekindle smoldering embers? A fire can’t properly start without the correct setup. 

1. You need tinder and kindling; tinder easily catches on fire (think dry grass or straw) while kindling provides structure (these are the logs of the fire). Tinder allows the fire to catch quickly and intensely… but without the structure of the kindling it will burn out. Kindling allows the fire to burn longer and longer, but without tinder the fire can’t start (Have you ever tried to light a plain log on fire with a lighter? Yeah, it doesn’t work well, does it?). Tinder for a Christian might include prayer or time with God. It might be an activity that gets you excited and ready to roar! The kindling would be the Biblical structure to keep the fire burning; Christian kindling might look like rooting deeper in Godly community or meditating on the lessons and values we’re taught in the Bible.

2. You need plenty of oxygen; have you ever lit a candle and then placed the lid back over the jar? The tiny flame might not immediately burn out, but after a good 10 seconds it will. A flame can’t thrive without oxygen. What is our oxygen? God’s presence. We can’t build a fire only to look at God and say, “Well, the fire is started. I’ve got it from here, chief.” Y’all, what??? We’re literally cutting off our source of air - our fuel! We have to let God’s presence, mercy, love, and grace feed this fire.

You need a spark; while it seems like the most simple part of the process, I tend to think it’s often the hardest. While it’s physically the smallest part of the process, it’s undoubtedly the most important… no spark means no fire. What is our spark? Our choice. Yeah, that’s right. You heard me correctly. Our spark ignites when we say, “Hey God. I want to be on fire. I’m going to be on fire.” Flint and steel won’t spark without a person striking them. We have to make the choice to pick up a lighter and spark a fire.

#4: Take it one step at a time.

If you’re anything like me, a burnout can be accompanied by an intense feeling of guilt. Every time I try to step out of a burnout, I‘m reminded that my works aren’t measuring up - that I’m not doing enough for the Lord at that moment. All that does is deepen the ditch you feel you’re already in. Guilt doesn’t add, it multiplies. The weight of it exponentially increases until we’re so burdened in our burnout that we can’t move.

Fortunately for us, God’s grace multiplies. Romans 5:20-21:

Remember - we are NOT measured by our works. Praise Jesus for that!!! In Ephesians 2:8-9, we are told that we are saved by faith, not works. Everyone, and I mean everyone, who has a relationship with Jesus Christ will go through this feeling of burnout - of feeling as though they don’t do enough or are not worthy enough. BUT GOD created us as his masterpieces to know and to be known, to love and to be loved. There is no burnout wild enough to separate you from God’s arms. There is no fire too small for God to stoke or too big for God to guide. He only needs your willingness to seek Him to do something with your life beyond your wildest dreams. Let’s go back to Elijah - do you know what happened after his burnout? He got up and went on. We have that same choice - to acknowledge what we’re going through, voice it to God, invite God to help us fan our flame, and go on. As Jesus says in Luke 17:31-32, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Lot’s wife turned around to look at the pain and despair she was leaving behind… she turned back to the literal burning of Sodom and Gomorrah. We’re not meant to dwell in our burnout. We’re not meant to linger in guilt. We’re not meant to anchor ourselves to our past - not when Jesus is in front of us.

I hope that this week’s post helped you in some way. I won’t lie, it wasn’t the easiest to write. (I was definitely stepping on my own toes here.) Let me know how I can pray for you! You can contact me through any of my social media linked throughout the website and through the comment submission form on the home page. I hope you have a fantastic and fiery week!

This blog was made for the glory of God and for your encouragement! See you next week!