In recent conversation with a minister friend, we were discussing the effects of burn out in ministry. Boy did I have alot to say about that subject! Been there, done that doesn't even wipe the surface. I think all of the ministers I've known personally, including minister wives, have experienced this awful feeling. We make ourselves work through it, muster a smile for everybody, while our hearts scream within us to take a break already...and we do this all for the sake of the call, right? Wrong! We tell ourselves we are doing it for the sake of the call but most times I've found that I continued on because of a sense of duty to others, guilt for dropping responsibilities (which if truth be known, too many on my plate to begin with), thoughts of things falling apart in my absence (yeah, self righteous or what!). When will we ever learn to say a simple "No, I'm not available for that" or how about a "Not interested"?
Its like the minister's wife is expected to carry any position of the church that someone else won't fill...not so my friend. That is not her purpose. She has been called first to be a help to her husband, whether that's through prayer support or other support she can give. This woman of God has been gifted to be a blessing to the congregation and she simply cannot do that if she is pulled here and there, pushed into duties she shouldn't be doing, or trying to prove she's some superwoman to the skeptics. If she does this for very long, the burn out will be inevitable. It might take years for it to appear but once it does surface, watch out folks! A word of advice to all that love this wonderful person...please allow them the freedom of saying no without the guilt games, manipulation tactics, and pity stories. A word of advice to the lovely soul that really needs a break and won't take it...pack your bags honey, get in the car without a second look around (unless of course you forgot to pack underwear), and head out of town! Maybe, just maybe, some things will resolve themselves in your absence and if they don't, believe me you will hear the same ole song when you return...so TAKE A BREAK!
The spiritual burn out you feel is for a reason. It is your warning sign that you are being affected or should I say infected. Its time to change things so you can remain effective! If you have found yourself feeling the things you once loved and enjoyed are now mere chores, then your diagnosis is pretty simple. Or if you're saying, wait a minute, I just took a break...well, obviously your break wasn't quite long enough my friend. Sometimes we need a sabbatical and its okay to take one. We haven't failed God or gone back on our commitment to His call on our lives. He knows we need rest and He tells us as our Shepherd that He will lead us beside quiet waters and make us lie down in green pastures; a place of rest and peace where we can rejuvenate, re-evaluate, renew, and be restored to health and vitality for His service. Its important for you to be a part of God's Army but He won't be able to count on you to command and reinforce if you are unhealthy and in need when its time to fight. You're not putting the armor in the trash; you're handing it to the armor bearer for a time of intimacy with your Father.
