A Bible Verse For Burnout
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mark 6:31, NIV)
We live in a culture that is over-paced, overloaded, and often overwhelmed. There are so many advantages to living in our modern technological world, but there are also real disadvantages. Many of them stem from how this fast-paced culture affects our mental health, one of the biggest being burnout.
Think of burnout as the shift that happens when we move from living with passion and thriving to living with exhaustion and constant struggle. Depending on how long you’ve been in that cycle, exhaustion and struggle can start to feel like your everyday reality.
Anyone who has truly lived with chronic burnout understands how difficult it is to recover and feel like you’re flourishing again.
Notice what Jesus says and does in Mark 6:31…
He points out that everyone gets tired. Work is energy output. Parenting is energy output. Relationships are energy output. Educational pursuits are energy output. Good things can make you tired—and that’s normal and okay.
He recognizes that everyone needs to retreat at times. It’s not healthy to always be doing, going, investing, performing, working, developing, and showing up for everything. Sometimes we need to get away from the doing so we don’t burn out.
He practices rest. Rest is not a luxury. Rest is a human rhythm for flourishing. You are not weak for needing rest—you are wise for practicing it. Retreating and resting help keep us from breaking under the weight of burnout.
When you begin to feel like you’re in a season of burnout, remind yourself of these truths:
01 | Recognize you are human. It’s okay to be tired. Tiredness might even be a sign that you’re doing good work in this world. But you were not created for “only” work.
02 | Retreat when you need it. Get away from the constant doing so you can recharge your batteries. What retreat looks like will be different for everyone, because we’re not all the same person and we don’t all have the same life circumstances.
03 | Pray for God’s strength and greater capacity in exhausting seasons. There’s no magic formula when life is full and you don’t have much margin to make big changes in the moment. That can be a great time to spend time with Jesus and ask Him to give you what He has that you don’t—His strength and capacity to fulfill your calling to the best of your ability in that season.
04 | Practice rest. Rest is the nourishing soil that helps keep life flourishing. Rest is made up of the moments and days that allow you to recharge your batteries. It’s wired into the daily and weekly rhythms of God’s creation. Sleep is daily rest—without it, we struggle. Sabbath is weekly rest—without it, we cannot flourish.
I know from experience that burnout can feel defeating at times. It takes time to heal and flourish again. I want to encourage you to follow the example of Jesus. And never forget that God will be present to help you and give you hope along the way.
There Are Better Days Ahead.
Much Love + Peace,
Wesley Towne, Founder