Spiritually Drained and Worn Down: The Reality of Christian Burnout – Highlight Episode 381

Burnout is a silent struggle that often affects those faithfully serving others, especially in ministry, where pressure and expectation run high. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explore how neglecting rest and abiding in Christ leads to spiritual and emotional exhaustion, reminding listeners that even Jesus modeled stepping away to rest. They discuss how a weakened prayer life, unresolved sin, misplaced identity, and striving to earn God’s favor can all contribute to feeling overwhelmed. True renewal comes through reapplying the gospel, embracing repentance, and deeply understanding God's love rather than seeking validation through performance. The conversation also highlights the importance of humility, asking for help, practicing Sabbath rest, and supporting one another within the church. Ultimately, lasting strength is found not in pushing harder but in abiding in Christ, resting in His grace, and laboring from love rather than for approval.

Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!
 
Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!
You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.
Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.

You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!
Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.
Ray Comfort
Emeal (“E.Z.”) Zwayne
Mark Spence
Oscar Navarro

Transcript

When Rest Gets Ignored

SPEAKER_01 0:00

But but I think there is also those who are seeking the Lord, who love the Lord, who are walking with the Lord, who are ha they have their prayer life, they're in the word. But sometimes the the practical load is just too heavy. And they're not taking breaks. They're not getting help. And so they're getting burned out. I'm talking about moms and dads and and again, people in ministry and and those that serve and those even that have jobs where it's so demanding, but they're not taking breaks.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Yeah.

Jesus Invites Real Rest

SPEAKER_02 0:35

And even Jesus told his disciples to come aside and rest a while. And I mean, resting and sleeping and taking naps, we, if somebody takes one of those, it's like we almost think like they're unspiritual. You know, but Jesus took a nap. There's the necessity to get as much rest and sleep as you possibly can to get the energy that you need to do the work that God is calling you to do. So we need to rest. Rest is a good thing. We start talking about burnout. Where does the burnout

Burnout From Carrying The Wrong Load

SPEAKER_02 1:03

come from? Maybe you're not resting in the Lord and you're trying to carry the load that the Lord is meant to carry, and you get burnout because it's an ungrateful job, uh, ungrateful position. Have you ever gone to an abortion mill? Right. And then you try to minister there. Can you think of anything that is more ungrateful on the people ministering there than the abortion mill? They don't want you there. You don't want to be there.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

And so many people in the pews see themselves primarily as slaves, rather as sons and daughters, adopted. As J.I. Packer says, adoption is the greatest ideal of the gospel. Adopted to be sons and daughters of God. And so much of our burnout, we think I'm tired of being a Christian. No, you've never been a Christian. You've been a slave to your own self-righteousness. Now it's

Slaves Or Sons: Adoption Reframed

SPEAKER_00 1:58

time to be a son and daughter of a God who has forgiven you.

SPEAKER_03 2:03

So I did three and a half years pastoring, um, three and a half years, the time of tribulation. Hated every minute, but it was an important grounding for when I began itinerating. Because when I would go into a local church, I would feel the pains of the local pastor. I knew what he carried. I knew what I know how hard it is to minister to the same people week after week after week. Because if you say the same joke, you've gone senile. He said that last week. He's been the same joke. He's gone. And so um I love what John Wesley said. He said, if I preach to the same people every week, I'd grow, I'd cause them to go crazy and I'd go crazy myself. And I I felt exactly the same. So it was a really good grounding to know that there's nothing as terrible in a local church as having elders that turn against the pastor, and then there's a church split, and there's all sorts of hurts, and the pastor's trying to carry the thing. So yeah, it gives us empathy for the local pastor.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

I think that's what burnout is. It's a lack of application of the gospel.

Pastoral Wounds And Empathy

SPEAKER_00 3:03

You you begin to lack applying it to a certain area of your life. Um, and then the second thing is so one, the the reapplication of the gospel, I needed it, but also repentance, like you guys experienced, I think that season of life. Like I was unbeknownst to me, growing resentful, bitter, frustrated. And I probably took that out on you guys here, you know. And so I had to sit down with some of you and apologize. Just recognizing that um that the devil just loves when you are sinned against, the devil will use that to shape your sin. And and so I think

Reapply The Gospel And Repent

SPEAKER_00 3:40

coming out of burnout is diving deep into the goodness of God and searching your own heart of areas of repentance that you need.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

And what you're talking about, Oscar, as well, like and Mark too, the two things I think that can lead to burnout as well in our lives as believers is first that element of trying to pursue perfection or trying to establish our own righteousness. But then there's also that element of living in rebellious sin against the Lord. It's that's a weight where you know, like you know you're saved by grace, you know you're not trying to earn your salvation. It's not an issue of condemnation, it's an issue of just making, giving

Perfectionism, Sin, And No Peace

SPEAKER_01 4:16

opportunity for the flesh.

SPEAKER_02 4:17

Yeah, you know, we we quote the scripture that there's no peace for the wicked, but there is no peace for the righteous who do wicked things. I mean, why would there be? Yeah, you you don't want to be at peace with your sin. And who was it that said if uh if you're at peace with your sin, you'll never be at peace with God? Right? So we we we need to be careful with that. We need to be haunted uh by our sin, but we need to be driven to that bloodstained cross and recognize that it's about Christ and not us. You know, it's okay to be honest that you're weak. You know, there's a great quote by uh Dane Ortland in his book, Gentle and Lonely, where he said, He is more drawn to your weakness than drawn to your strength. Wow. He's more drawn to your weakness than to your strength. We think we have something to offer, but in reality, you have nothing to offer. He sees you in that muck, in the mire, and that pit in which you sit. He sees that, and he's more drawn to that than the person who seems like he's got it all together.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

I didn't think we realized how complex we are as human beings. I remember when I

Weakness That Draws Christ Near

SPEAKER_03 5:15

had my operation years ago, I was in this waiting room and I saw an elderly guy who uh was in a lot of pain. And I just had my um blood pressure taken, and for some reason they wanted to take it again, and it went through the roof after me seeing that guy in pain. And I thought I didn't feel any different, but my blood pressure showed that I did, and so we don't realize that we are beings that are complex and we need to rest our bodies. Yeah, it's the same with even drinking. I didn't realize a lot of old people, elderly people die because they don't drink enough water in hot weather. Yeah, they just die, and that's because they're not they don't feel

Bodies Need Water And Sabbath

SPEAKER_03 5:52

they feel don't feel like a drink. And now I I discipline myself to drink because I realize that my body needs that, and our body needs rest.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Yeah, yeah, and and look, you know, Mark highlighted it before. I mean, Jesus said to the disciples, come away by yourselves and rest a while. God showed us that the Sabbath principle of rest. God rested in whatever way we can understand that, you know. And and so we have to recognize that, that we

Speak Up And Share The Load

SPEAKER_01 6:18

need to do that. So I would say to those listening who are in that place, humble yourself and open up. Speak and speak to those that know you best and just say, I need help. If it's your boss, if it's your husband, if it's your wife, uh, kids, if it's if it's your parents, you, if it's your kids and and their things that they're demanding of you. You've got to speak up. But let me, in closing, speak to those who can be of service to those who may never speak

Practical Ways To Lift Others

SPEAKER_01 6:44

up. So, husband, lift the load off your wife. Figure out ways you can bless her, serve her, give her a break. Honey, I'm taking the kids today or this weekend. Go with your friends, go to a spa, go get refreshed. Wives, understand that you're the greatest voice of relief in your husband's life. So he comes home. I know you may be tempted to share with him everything that happened that day. And there's a space for that, of course. But you got to think, is he burdened? Has he been talking about how hard work is? Do you see him working later than normal and kind of down a bit? Speak life into him, encourage him, ask him what you can do to help him. Take care of those things that maybe he's got on his plate that you can practically take care of to help him. You know, um, congregants, encourage your pastor. Instead of just bringing burdens to him, bring encouragement to him. Tell him what a blessing he's been. Get a gift card for him and his wife to go out and enjoy an evening out, you know. Um, and on and on. I mean, the list can go on, you know, of ways that we can be an encouragement and help lift the load of others who feel burned out. You're you're at work in ministry, you see other people, you know, striving. Like today, we were dealing with something, and and Oscar sent a text and he said, What can I do to help? Let me know. And that blessed me. You know, it's it just the knowledge that others are willing to pull away. Mark does that with me often. Ray, you know, what can I do? We can do that for each other and it can make a massive difference.

Closing And Full Episode Invite

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Thank you for tuning in to this week's highlights from the Living Waters podcast. Friends, we value your time. So we've created a bite-sized version of our podcast for listeners who want to get equipped without the jokes and fellowship. Be sure to check out the full episode every Thursday where we dive deeper into the topic. Until then, you can watch the full podcast episode available now on livingwaters.tv.