Feeling Burned Out?

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

Have you ever felt tired and worn out? Burdened with obligations and things to do? Like there’s never enough time?

Have you ever felt like “Help!” is all you can pray?

I have. I think we all have. In my writing, my own writing competes with obligations to my coaching and editing client, and to my writing partners. Then comes responsibilities to my family. Add church to all this, especially in serving, and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect storm of frustration and burn out.

Recently, a revelation came to me through Mary Jo Pierce’s book, Adventures in Prayer. I discovered I was blurring the line between serving God and obeying him. My writing, my family and my church are all parts of what he has called me to do. But I was neglecting my relationship with him.

Physical and spiritual exhaustion come from pushing too hard and too fast and for the wrong reasons. When we serve to boost our egos or for the strokes from pastor and church members, our heart isn’t right. When we push ourselves out of guilt, our motivations are off base.

And we lose the rhythm and pace of our lives, the balance.

If this is happening with you, ask yourself: am I depending on the Holy Spirit? Am I depending on the grace of God?

Maybe it’s time to stop, to say, “enough is enough.”

I was in this exact place about a month ago. I had to sit and be still. May Jo Pierce calls this letting my heart fall into rhythm with his. I needed to balance my service for him with my relationship with him. I set my priorities aside and listened to him. And I received not only his rest, but also his peace. And his direction to step away from an area of service because it wasn’t where he wanted me to be. It was where I wanted to be and that’s why I was out of rhythm.

When I made that decision, renewed peace and energy flowed.

Feeling burned out? Make the time to be still and listen to him.

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Henry’s debut novel, Journey to Riverbend, won the 2009 Operation First Novel contest. 

He serves as Associate Director of North Texas Christian Writers. 

Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers. 

Connect with Henry on his blog, Twitter and Facebook.