Copyright by Shea Oakley
\nAll rights reserved<\/p>\n
When we feel badly \u201cburnt-out\u201d in doing the hard work of loving others we often think of only two solutions. One is to pull-back from the objects of our love to seek an extended period of rest and the other is to \u201cre-double our efforts\u201d and try to continue being there for them despite feeling like we have nothing more to give.<\/p>\n
There is, however, a third option. <\/p>\n
When deeply fatigued we can consciously choose to begin seeking to go farther into God, to find the strength we need in our weakness in the infinite yet accessible depths of His love. Instead of pulling back or bearing down we can choose to dig deep. <\/p>\n
It is easy to forget that as Christians we have access to unlimited resources. The God to which we have given our lives to is not finite. This may seem to some like the most basic spiritual common sense, but it is one thing to affirm the omnipotence and infinitude of God in our heads and another to believe it in our hearts. We live in a world of scarcity. All resources seem limited and, in the natural sense, this is indeed the case. All material things on earth truly are in limited supply and this perception is so pervasive in human life that it becomes easy to forget that scarcity in the natural realm does not extend into the realm of the supernatural. There is no shortage of resources in God\u2019s economy and there never will be. If our spiritual “tanks” are empty He is always able to fill them again to the brim and, beyond that, to make them overflow onto others.<\/p>\n
The Scriptures tell us to \u201cseek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added onto you.\u201d Included in what can be added on to us is the love we need to reach out to those the Lord has given us for the purpose of blessing. We may indeed be burnt-out, we may indeed need to rest and even limit our participation in the lives of certain people for a short season. But that time of rest is perhaps best used to turn our hearts, minds, souls and spirits towards our Lord in a way we have not done before.<\/p>\n
Very few seasoned Christians would disagree that they have more to give the people in their lives after they have spent a sustained period of time seeking seriously after God. Whether the seeking takes the form of extended periods of prayer, meditation, worship or Bible study the fruit of drawing near to God in new and deeper ways is new strength to sincerely love and serve others.<\/p>\n
Of course some will argue that the demands of modern life make it very difficult to find the time necessary to draw near to God in this way. There is some truth to this complaint, especially for those trying to balance the seemingly endless demands of work and family life, but here the old clich\u00e9 about \u201cbeing too busy not to pray\u201d is an apt one. If God cannot be given priority in our lives in the sense of giving him the first fruits of our time then something beyond \u201cburn-out\u201d is at stake here. Coming under the Lordship of Christ and progressing in sanctification is in no way optional for an authentic believer. In the long run we will see our lives fall apart spiritually if we do not find the desire to seek God before all other persons and things.<\/p>\n
One heartening truth that needs to be stated is that it is the love and grace of God which not only motivates our decision to go deeper spiritually, but also opens the practical doors to do so. He can and will show us how to find the time to seek the deep resources within Him that He longs to share with us. Once our will is set the doors will be opened, for all who earnestly desire more of God will find more of God.<\/p>\n
In the end we who dare to plumb the depths of divine love will find renewal in every sense, for our own sakes, for the sake of others and, ultimately, for the glorification of our Lord.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Copyright by Shea Oakley All rights reserved When we feel badly \u201cburnt-out\u201d in doing the hard work of loving others we often think of only two solutions. One is to pull-back from the objects of our love to seek an extended period of rest and the other is to \u201cre-double our efforts\u201d and try to… <\/p>\n