Pursuing the Call: A Plan for New MissionariesSample

Every person who has ever done ministry has experienced burnout at some point. Preventing yourself from getting to this place and overcoming this phenomenon as soon as possible if you are there is important, because you cannot minister as effectively or fulfill with excellence your other roles in life such as being a spouse, parent, or friend if you are burned out.

Elijah is a hugely important figure in the Bible. By the time of Jesus, he may even have been considered the most important prophet in Hebrew history other than Moses. However, in 1 Kings 19 we find Elijah in full-fledged burnout, hiding alone in a cave and complaining to God that his life is so miserable it would be better for him to die.

God ultimately helped Elijah overcome his burnout, and he can help you too. I’m a big baseball fan, and whenever a pitcher struggles, a coach often makes a mound visit. This does not always mean that a pitching change is coming. Many times the coach gives the pitcher an opportunity to regroup mentally, and then leaves him in the game to try to pitch through his slump. Just because you’ve hit a rough patch doesn’t mean that you have to abandon the game.

You may eventually conclude that God is calling you in a different direction, but you want to make that conclusion from a healthy mental state rather than a state of burnout. You might just need a chance to rest in God’s presence, reorder some things in your life, and then get back in the game. This is how Elijah’s time in the cave ends, as God commands him in verse 15 to go back the way you came. Don’t let yourself become convinced that you have to live in your slump forever. You can overcome burnout and get back to a thriving ministry.

As you read today's reading, consider what you can do to avoid burnout and how you can overcome it if you’re already there.