How can I avoid ministry burnout?

what does the bible say?

Ministry burnout takes root when we carry burdens God never asked us to carry, but it breaks when we return to His rhythms of rest and dependence. Ministry burnout can happen for a variety of reasons, such as pouring out more than we take in spiritually, relying on our own strength, serving outside the calling He’s actually given us, or neglecting the physical and emotional rest He designed us to need. From creation onward, God showed that rest is holy. Further, our service is a gift that comes from God’s calling. He equips the called—not the other way around. Jesus Himself stepped away from constant demands to be strengthened by the Father, showing us that ministry without a relationship and rest in Him becomes ministry without power. The early church advanced not through human stamina, but through the Spirit’s filling: the work of God must be done by the strength of God. Remembering God’s calling on our lives and living in His presence and His rest helps us find resilience, joy, and protection from burnout’s slow erosion.

from the old testament

• God set the pattern of rest for all humanity by taking the seventh day of creation to rest. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:1–3).
• There are many examples of how God equips the called, not calls the equipped, in the Bible. Moses was called to be a spokesman for the Israelites in captivity, yet he had a difficult time speaking (Exodus 4:10). Gideon was inadequate (Judges 6:12, 15). We must rely on God’s strength where He calls us to serve.

from the new testament

• Ministry requires us to give selflessly, and sometimes, we receive from it only a heavenly reward (Mark 9:41; Luke 12:34), but we must nourish ourselves for the journey.
• Jesus implied that Sabbath is a gift (Mark 2:27). We must not replace worship of God with idolizing our ministry work.
• Jesus took time away from His ministry to spend time alone with God (e.g., Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 4:42; 6:12). We must follow His example.
• Recognizing God’s call and responding to it are important. When He calls us, He also equips us. Even Jesus, on earth, required a close connection with God the Father. “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise’” (John 5:19).
• The apostles and early disciples learned not to trust in their own strength and understanding. The book of Acts records several instances of leaders first being filled with the Holy Spirit before ministering (e.g., Acts. 4:8, 31; 7:55). The Holy Spirit was credited with the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church (Acts 2:41, 47). The leaders involved relied on the power of God to accomplish what they could never do on their own (Luke 24:49; Acts. 1:4–5).
• Paul likened his ministry work to being “poured out as a drink offering” (Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6). It costs us something to be in ministry, which is why it is so important to be filled with Him and in the rest He gives.
• Ministry involves bearing the burdens of others (Galatians 6:20), which can be draining. We need time with family and friends, time to focus on other pursuits or hobbies, time to check in with spiritual mentors, and time to retreat and be refreshed and refilled.
• The New Testament also shows that God equips those whom He calls. Saul was a murderer who became the apostle Paul (Acts 9:1–2, 14–15), and many of the disciples were common men who didn’t seem a likely group to change the world (Matthew 9:9; Mark 1:16). Ministry work can be daunting, but we need not fear because we know it is a work of God, not a work of our own strength.

implications for today

God created us to need rest and respite from our activities, even when those activities are a part of ministry and honor Him. For one thing, He set the pattern for us by creating us with the rhythm of sleep—we sleep about one-third of our lives. When we experience burnout, or reach the end of our rope, even in professional ministry, it is helpful to review three aspects of our lives and work—our rhythms, the source of our strengths, and our calling. Each of these aspects is rightly rooted in our relationship with God. First, do you take time to care for yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually? If we empty our tank and never refill it, burnout is likely. We need to sleep, care for our bodies, have healthy outlets to process emotions, and nourish our relationship with God. We should take time each week to worship God, have someone else speak words of truth from the Bible to us, and participate in activities that bring us closer to God. Second, check to see where you gain your energies, direction, and focus. Jesus modeled this for us. He stayed energized by spending time in prayer with God. We need God’s help to avoid weariness (Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13). Our own strengths, insights, and fortitude are not enough to sustain ministry. Many times, we enter a ministry based on our gifts and personalities, or even just on ability to meet what seems to be a pressing need. God, however, does not need these natural or learned skills and abilities. And a need for something to be done is not necessarily a personal call to do it. Often, God places us in a ministry that matches our natural abilities and personalities, and often, we are called to fill a vacancy. But sometimes, God puts us in a place we would never expect. And sometimes, God is calling someone else to fill a particular need, even if we are able to do so. No matter the case, our abilities alone will never be enough. The work of God requires the power of God. The best ministry fit is the one to which God has called you, and it can only be fully accomplished in His strength. D. L. Moody instructed us well when he said, “Before we pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought first to pray that He empty us.” Thirdly, we must know for certain that God called us to the ministry we are involved in. We should question this leading and guidance regularly, for pride and vanity will creep up to us. God’s calling and empowerment is critical to our ministry success, not giftedness or even results. It is often said that God equips the called, not calls the equipped. When we are called by God to a certain work, we can weather long stretches of stagnation in ministry, loneliness, and difficulty because we don’t have to question our own abilities and strengths. We can trust that He will give us the ability to accomplish what He has planned for us (Exodus 35:20–25; 1 Corinthians 12:4–5; Ephesians 2:10). We also know that in ministering, it is He who receives the glory, not us. We need not bear burdens that are not from God, nor do we attempt to take His glory. Rather, in ministry, we simply seek to obey God, looking to Him for direction and filling. We recognize His call (John 10:27; Acts 13:2) and obey. As we trust in God as our Source, relying on Him for strength and direction, as well as joyfully accepting the rest and refreshment He provides, we can avoid burning out.

Recap

understand

• God designed ministry to flow from His strength, not ours.
• God equips the called and empowers His people for service.
• Rest is a God-given rhythm, necessary to prevent burnout.

reflect

• How do you recognize when you are starting to feel burnout?
• How consistently are you allowing yourself to rest, refuel, and reconnect with God to prevent ministry burnout?
• How can you determine if you are serving within or outside the calling God actually gave you?

engage

• How can we encourage each other to rest and depend on the Lord for our ministry service?
• What practices help us serve in a way that does not lead to ministry burnout?
• Why is important to seek and follow God’s calling, rather than simply filling needs out of pressure or expectation?