Where’s the line between sacrificing for Christ and burnout for Christ?
Burnout can happen anywhere, but Christians seem particularly susceptible. We know that pushing ourselves for God is good. It’s what we should be doing. You could say it’s suffering for the gospel, in some small way.
This is further reinforced since churches are classically under-resourced. People who say “yes” to small group leading, drumming in the band, joining that committee, etc. are practically thrown a parade.
It’s a good thing to be willing and able. But sometimes, this desire to do good mutates into something destructive. And it’s serious, because it can hurt your personal life, your health and your faith.
What is burnout?
Burnout isn’t the same as sacrifice. Faith is all about giving sacrificially – whatever we’ve got, including time, talents or resources. Jesus says as much in Luke chapter 9,verses 23-24:
If anyone comes after me, they should deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.
Burnout, on the other hand, is when we give so much of our time, resources and energy that an important part (or parts) of our lives begin to suffer. I’m not talking about seeing your partner only six times a week instead of seven. I’m talking about people who are too busy to see their kids, function well at work, sleep at night or get better when they’re ill.
This is burnout – when someone has pushed themselves so far physically, emotionally or spiritually that something has to give.
What does Christian burnout look like?
Ministers tend to be pulled in twenty different directions at any given time, and saying “no” can feel like you’re letting someone down. Over my years in church circles, I’ve seen leaders around me hopelessly over-committed and running on fumes, trying to fulfill what they see as their role but unable to breathe or rest.
I remember mentors who’ve tried to cram a coffee with me into their schedule, even when they were spread far too thin. Other friends have been unable to rest or socialise because of youth leading, Sunday school preparation, band practice and service leading – every weekend. At some point, this stops being sustainable.
What’s more, burning ourselves out impacts more than just ourselves. If we “keep on keeping on” when we need to rest, burnout will drag us down and make the ministries or commitments we’re trying to fulfill less effective – not more.
It’s a similar principle to when you go into work when you’re sick, instead of resting. Your sickness will last twice as long and your work will suffer twice as much.
In his book Zeal Without Burnout (which I highly recommend for more on this topic), Christopher Ash shares an analogy of a firefighter:
Obviously you have to push yourself physically when fighting a fire. It’s a stretching experience that is uncomfortable and physically difficult… It’s foolishness to ignore your limitations, try to be the hero, and cramp up, pass out, or have a heart attack while in a burning structure because you’re beyond the limits of what God has supplied you with the capability of doing. It’s a form of heroic suicide that is counterproductive because you’re now no longer effective in fighting fire and the resources that were dedicated to fighting fire are now dedicated to saving you.
Avoiding burnout culture
Are we normalising this culture of busy over commitment in Christian culture? I worry that we are. While we admire someone’s commitment and willingness to serve, we need to keep some key things in mind.
Trust God
Trusting God to handle our lives is one. It’s one thing to work hard to help others out, but it’s a whole other thing to burn the candle at both ends because we forgot that God’s got it. Why do we work sometimes as though we have to do it ourselves?
We’re not superhuman
We need rest. Not just sleep, but also rest in God and time to rest with those who care for us. Don’t underestimate the power of spiritual rest. After all, our hearts are where everything else comes from.
Maintain a network
Lastly, we need to maintain our Christian community, even when we’re under the pump. Not only is it important to have people around us keeping us sane, but Christian friendships in particular are there to build us up.
This is another reason why staying close to a Christian community – whether we’re busy or not – is so important. When we are under the hammer, these are the friendships that will give us perspective on our own walk and help us stick with it.
It’s unfortunate to have Sunday-only Christians, or Christians who are unwilling to step up. But we equally shouldn’t want believers so stressed out and bottomed out that they can’t honour their other commitments in life. That includes commitments like family, rest, or quiet time with God.
Striking a balance
Of course, we don’t want to be a community of nay-sayers. For every person who says “yes” too much, there’s another who says “no” more than they should.
But before I shake my head that Jane isn’t able to be a small group leader, I need to take a pause. Saying “no” isn’t automatically a case of not being a team player. Sometimes it’s necessary and healthy. Maybe Jane needs to put up boundaries so that she can serve in a different way, or just rest.
So spare a thought for the serial “yes” people out there. And keep an eye out for those people who might need a reminder that it’s okay to take a break.
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An earlier version of this article was published in my column on Christian Today AU.
