 |
| Bending Metal courtesy photobucket.com |
As a kid I was always amazed that how a piece of metal would break if you bent it back and forth enough times. This was one of my big discoveries as a youth. Many others followed as I accumulated my vast storage of knowledge.
Alone the way I came into contact with people with what was called psychological burn out.
At first I couldn't understand how that could be until I met Cliff Wright. He was a kindly man who was soft spoken who wished to help people in need. The only problem he didn't have the wherewithal to do so and he would take from one and give it to another.
 |
| courtesy photobucket.com |
He was a good mechanic who could fix almost kind of engine. This was essential for his former occupation which was a race car driver. He would build his own cars and drive them. He had raced all across the country from the west to the east. But after years of little success, often having to sleep in his car with little to eat he finally came to the place where he was just burned out and racing became only a memory.
Cliff had developed a problem along the way which was lying about his racing exploits and you could never tell for sure if he was telling the truth. If you asked his wife she would always tell the truth about what he had said. Still with this fault he was likeable.
He would have plenty of work to do but he would just sit and look at it and after awhile would say; let's go and get some coffee. He would come back and look at it again until he felt it was time for coffee again. Jobs that would normally take a couple of hours wouldn't get done for weeks even though he promised to finish it. He was so burned out that all he had left was good intentions.
It is possible for a Christian to come to the same place where service for GOD has left them burned out.
What is burnout? Helpguide.org. “Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.”
This can occur when your high expectations for GOD are not met and your desire to do great things at best turn out mediocre. It is possible for our zeal to take us beyond our calling and the result can be disappointment, discouragement and confusion.
Our willingness to work for GOD can lead to expectations (by others) beyond what our stress levels can bear and if you crash and burn they will wonder why.
Jesus saw this happening to his disciples; And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. While their rest was short lived at least he recognized they had limits.
Due to the times we live in we must push ourselves to do more for Christ's kingdom but it is imperative to stay within your limits and not "Burn Out."
This post has been linked with Joan Davis at: Sharing His Beauty
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you are having trouble making a comment - select anonymous but please add your first name to the comment.