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Nine Reasons for Your Burnout

Building a Better Life

Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise

Life's Healing Choices

Most of us have run out of gas at some point. It’s painful. When my kids were young, we went on a vacation to Lake Tahoe. We borrowed a trailer from a church staff member and attached it to the back of my truck. Unfortunately, I didn’t take into consideration how the extra weight on my truck would impact my gas mileage, and I ran out of gas before we made it to our destination. I then had to hike up a mountain to get more gas. It wasn’t a fun experience. I’ve come to recognize the similarities between running out of gas in our vehicles and running out of energy in our lives. They share many of the same causes. Below are nine reasons we run out of gas physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 1. We don’t start out with a full tank. The way we start our day sets our day. If we don't start out with a full tank, we’ll be running on empty as the day goes on. That’s why we must start each day spending time with the Lord, so we can fill up emotionally and spiritually. 2. We’re too busy to pause and refuel. Without regular periods of refueling spiritually, emotionally, and relationally, we’ll run out of gas. The problem is we often get busy and think we don’t have time to refuel. But the truth is, we don’t have time not to refuel. We need to plan buffers in our lives, or we’ll never have time for them. 3. We aren’t aware of the hidden leaks that are draining us. I’ve found there are two big categories of leaks in our lives—relationships and responsibilities. Often, we don’t realize that we might have relationships in our lives that sap our creativity, energy, and strength. We also overload ourselves with more responsibilities than we can possibly fulfill. Both of those leaks will deplete our energy without realizing it. 4. We ignore the owner’s manual and push ourselves further than we were created to go. A car’s owner’s manual will tell you how far it’s designed to go on a tank of gas. Unfortunately, most of us never take the manual out of the glove compartment. Same is true with our “emotional tanks.” If we ignore what the Bible says about how we’re made, we’ll run out of gas regularly. For example, the Bible tells us to take a day of rest every seven days. When we ignore this command, our bodies pay the price. 5. We’re in a hurry. If you drive 80 miles per hour, you’ll run out of gas much faster than if you drive 40 miles per hour. Hurry wears you out. We need to constantly check the speed of our lives and make changes to create necessary margins. 6. We’re distracted and not watching our gauges. We have gauges in our lives that show us when we’re headed toward disaster. Sleep is one such gauge. If you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re in danger. You ignore that danger warning at your own risk. I’ve noticed I tend to gain weight when I am under stress. It's a clear sign to me that I need to make a change. If you think about it, you’ll come up with gauges that tell you when you’re approaching danger, too. 7. The more we carry, the sooner we’ll run out of gas. We’re often exhausted because we have too much on our plate. It’s easy to add one more task to our to-do list without considering how it will impact our energy levels. It’s harder to deal with the fallout that inevitably happens when our tank gets depleted because we keep “adding one more thing” to our lives. 8. We feel pressure to do it now. Any time you try to do something too quickly, it will drain your energy. You can’t constantly “push the pedal to the metal” without facing consequences. Rapid acceleration wastes gas when you’re driving. It wastes your energy in life as well. 9. We think the limits of our tank don’t apply to us. Some of us think we’re superheroes. We believe God’s instructions on building margin into our lives don’t apply to us. That kind of arrogance will deplete energy. None of us are immune from the consequences of overloading our lives. I know many of you are running out of gas right now. Take a look at the four actions I shared last week that can help you keep your tank filled so you won’t run out of gas.

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When God Won’t Let You Look Away

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.” Isaiah 58:9–10 (GNT)What’s been weighing on you lately? Not the petty stuff. The things you can’t shake.The family that’s one bill away from collapse. The kid who keeps showing up hungry. Or the quiet prejudice that never announces itself—just leaves bruises.This is the “normal" that never should’ve become normal. That kind of holy disturbance might actually be a gift.Esther felt it too. When the threat against her people became real, she was “deeply disturbed” (Esther 4:4 GNT). It didn’t just make her anxious. It pushed her toward a costly step. She prayed. She sought counsel. She chose faithfulness over self-protection. Then she acted.A lot of pastors feel disturbed right now—and tired. You’re writing a sermon, doing a hospital run, trying to make sense of the budget, and your phone still lights up with another crisis text late at night.It’s easy to assume you have to fix everything you notice. You don’t. But you also don’t have to ignore what God has put in front of you.Isaiah 58 describes a life that refuses contempt, refuses oppression, and feeds the hungry. And it ties a promise to that kind of life.When you lean toward justice and mercy, God doesn’t leave you stumbling around in the dark. God guides you. God strengthens you. God supplies what you can’t manufacture on your own.So here’s a simple Monday question to carry into your week:What is one need God is putting within your reach—not so you can save the world, but so you can love your neighbor with integrity?Maybe it’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding. A person you need to see. A practical gift. A small act of advocacy. Or a team you gather so you’re not carrying it alone.Let the disturbance do its work. Then take the next faithful step.

Trusting God When Results Take Time

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways.” (Psalm 37:7 NIV).Pastor, you may not hear the word fret much anymore. It’s an old word that simply means worry. And if there’s one thing ministry can stir up quickly, it’s worry.You worry when things are moving too fast and you’re trying to keep up. You worry when things feel painfully slow and you’re wondering why God hasn’t acted yet. You worry when you look around and it seems like other pastors, other churches, other ministries are succeeding while you’re still waiting.Waiting is hard—especially when you’re responsible for people. But choosing to wait patiently on God instead of fretting is a powerful act of faith. It’s a declaration about who God is. When you wait without worry, you’re saying, “God, I trust your timing more than my pressure.”That’s why Scripture says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways” (Psalm 37:7 NIV). God knew comparison would be one of the greatest sources of anxiety for his leaders.One of the fastest ways to drain your joy in ministry is comparison. When you focus on another pastor’s platform, another church’s growth, or another leader’s results, you stop paying attention to what God is doing right in front of you. And comparison always leads to fretting.But God didn’t call you to someone else’s assignment. He didn’t ask you to carry someone else’s results. He asked you to be faithful where you are.Worry won’t help you do that. Worry is worthless. It can’t change yesterday’s sermon. It can’t control next Sunday’s attendance. It can’t speed up God’s process. It only steals today’s peace.That’s why Scripture gives such practical counsel: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers” (Philippians 4:6 MSG).Worry never changes anything—but prayer does.So as you step into this week, pastor, resist the urge to rush God or compare yourself to others. Be still. Wait patiently. Trust that God is at work even when progress feels slow.You don’t need to fret this season. You need to pray—and keep walking faithfully in the calling God has already placed on your life.

How to Cooperate as God Works in You

Pastor, you want to see fruit—in your life and in the people and ministry of your church. The Bible calls that “the fruit of the Spirit”—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23 NIV).These nine qualities describe the character of a mature disciple and the kind of leader you’re becoming.So how does God grow this fruit in you? He uses a process. Here are two facts you need to know if you want to cooperate with that process.1) Spiritual growth is a partnership.Paul writes, “Work out your salvation . . . for it is God who works in you” (Philippians 2:12–13 NIV).That’s not a contradiction—it’s a paradox. You don’t work for your salvation. You work out what God has already put in. In a physical workout you develop muscles you already have; in a spiritual workout you cultivate the new life God has already given you.God has a part in your growth, and you have a part. He provides the power—but you need to flip the switch. Your job is to cooperate with what he’s doing.2) Spiritual fruit ripens over time.There’s no such thing as instant spiritual maturity. It takes time for fruit to ripen—and when you try to rush fruit, you ruin the flavor. The same is true in ministry. You can accelerate activity, but you can’t microwave character. God grows fruit season by season.How to Cooperate with the Spirit’s Growth ProcessImmerse yourself in Scripture. Read, study, memorize, and meditate so God’s Word reshapes your thinking.Pray honestly. Talk with God about everything you’re facing. Invite the Spirit to search you and lead you.Surrender daily. Give the Holy Spirit free rein—no compartments and no conditions.Receive your circumstances. Trust that God is using both pleasant and painful seasons to form Christlike character.Respond like Jesus. Ask, “What would Christ’s love, patience, or gentleness look like right here?” Then do it.God wants to produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life and leadership. Will you cooperate with him in this life-changing process?

Tell God How You’re Feeling

“[God] has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead. . . . And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers.” Lamentations 3:4–6, 8 (NLT)If you’ve been in ministry long enough, you know what it feels like to be poured out and still feel empty. The sermon is preached. The hospital visits are made. The hard conversations are had. And yet, sometimes, instead of joy or peace, all that remains is silence—and sadness.Maybe it’s a critical email after a long Sunday. Maybe it’s watching your church shrink despite your best efforts. Maybe it’s conflict in your leadership team, or the quiet ache of seeing people walk away from the faith. And in those moments, you wonder, Where is God in this?Jeremiah knew that feeling well. In Lamentations, he’s not giving a neat theological answer—he’s groaning. He says, “[God] has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. . . . And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers” (Lamentations 3:4, 8 NLT).Sound familiar?It might surprise you that such raw emotion is in the Bible—but it’s there for a reason. Jeremiah didn’t bottle it up or try to sound strong. He didn’t pretend everything was okay. He poured it all out before God.Pastor, you don’t have to stuff your emotions either.God isn’t intimidated by your questions. He doesn’t flinch when you’re angry, exhausted, or confused. You’re not less spiritual for being honest—you’re actually stepping into a kind of worship that leads to healing.If you try to keep all that pain inside, it will find its way out—maybe through anxiety, resentment, even burnout. But when you give it to God—every ounce of frustration, fear, and fatigue—you start to find space to breathe again.God doesn't need you to be strong for him. He already knows your heart. So tell him the truth. Not the polished version. The real one.He can handle it.And more importantly, he’s not going anywhere.

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