"Burnt Out!"
"I love the Lord, I'm faithful, I'm trying so hard! But, the reality is, I'm burnt out! I'm tired, my fire is gone, I'm no longer zealous!"
I've heard these words so many times in the ministry. I've even said them myself on several occasions! I remember shortly after I fully committed my life to Christ and the furtherance of the Gospel, I was so engulfed with passion through the newly ignited fire of faith and I thought I was going to conquer Satan and his entire kingdom! I dove into EVERY ministry I could get in to! It wasn't very long before that fire, that zealous spirit began to be smothered by obligation instead of joyous devotion! And believe me, there is a very distinct difference! Not only did the ministries that I had committed myself to become monotonous, draining, and spiritless but the very necessary duties of reading and studying the Word, prayer, fasting, and even worship became vain and unfulfilling! I had succumbed to religious rituals filled with empty actions instead of a relationship of love and devotion that sent forth the Gospel in such a zealous fashion that even the most devoted of atheists could see the love of God in my being! I see it repeat itself so often in new converts. It's like a revolving door. They come in, they are swept away by grace, they dive into every ministry they can, they burn out, and then they're gone! I'm so often reminded that this race is not a sprint but a marathon! What scares me is the fact that this type of situation happens far more often in smaller churches than in larger ones. As a Pastor, I see why! It's so hard to get volunteers, teachers, helpers, ushers, etc. and so on that when someone comes along and they're on fire we run with it and before we realize it they've over committed themselves and within months they're spiritually, emotionally, and physically drained and instead of growing spiritually, they almost suffocate under the pressure of obligation and commitment! Sometimes, you have to take a step back from some of those commitments and obligations and work on YOU! The reality is, if you're not spiritually healthy and thriving, neither will your input into such ministry! When we over commit we neglect the very things that keep the fire burning! The reading and study of the Word, Prayer, Fasting, and Worship MUST always have a place in your daily routine and MUST take precedence over ANY and ALL ministry commitments and obligations! If you are so consumed with everything else in life, even if they are ministries, even if you mean well, even if you're the only one willing to do them, and these four daily actions are neglected your fire WILL go out!
In Leviticus chapter 6, we find the ritual concerning the perpetual fire upon the altar. Each and every morning the priests were to place wood upon the fire, it must NEVER go out! This perpetual fire rained down from God in verse 24 of chapter 9! Yet, in chapter 10 Nadab and Abihu took strange fire, fire not given by God, and placed it on the altar! This was such an unholy offense that it cost them their very lives. If we mirror this story into the life of a child of God under grace, we see that if we offer strange fire, fire not given by God but through our own pride of obligation and commitment, our spiritual lives are on the verge of sudden death!
A fire can only burn as long as there is fuel! EVERY SINGLE DAY those priests had to place the wood(fuel) on the fire! Without them putting forth action, the fire would go out! Also, fire cannot burn without oxygen(the Holy Spirit)! If we provide the fuel(reading and study of the Word, Prayer, Fasting, & Worship), God will provide the oxygen(His Spirit)!
Maybe the best course of action for spiritual growth in your life is not more ministry but more fuel! I've learned the hard way that I'm more effective committing 100% of myself to one ministry than 20% of myself to five different ministries! May God bless you as you seek His will and let Him lead you into the divine purpose He has for your life!
Leviticus 6:8-13King James Version (KJV)
8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.
10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.
11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.
12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
Leviticus 9:22-24King James Version (KJV)
22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.
24 And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Leviticus 10:1-2King James Version (KJV)
10 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before theLord.
