One Breath Away From Burnout - An Unfulfilled Spirit

One Breath Away from Burnout - An Unfulfilled Spirit

ACCORDING TO The Barna Group, the adult population in the United States grew by 15 percent between 1991 and early 2004. During that same period the number of adults who did not attend church nearly doubled, rising from 39 million to 75 million—a 92 percent increase!^a But I have a theory: it’s not always the place of worship that we’re burned out on. I surmise the root cause of our unfulfilled spirit is not corporate worship but a far more personal dilemma. I believe our emptied spirits are the result of despair.

I was twenty-two when I realized my first business was failing. I was one breath away from burnout; my spirit was drained. I was so worn out with praying and waiting for a specific outcome that I just could hardly stand to pray or wait anymore. Day by day, my faith wasted away a little more. I was running out of time, money, hope, and solutions. My mind-melting despair trumped my faith and destroyed my gratitude and desire to praise the almighty God for who he is . . . rather than what he could do for me.

When everything around me was falling apart, I could only cry out to God to save me. During that most difficult time, not once did it dawn on me to praise him, as Job of the Old Testament did.

As is our nature, our world revolves around ourselves—our hopes, our dreams, our problems, and our disappointments. And this self-concern flows daily, or sometimes hourly, into our prayer life. We say “all about me” prayers, moaning our pains, problems, disappointments, and needs to God to the point that I’m just amazed he’s not burned out with us! But amazingly, he’s far more patient with his needy children than we are with him. Frightening when you stop to think about it, isn’t it?

The righteous person faces many troubles,but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:19)

I don’t know where you are right now. Life may be perfect, and if it is, praise the Lord with all that is within you. But if it’s not perfect, if you’re struggling with all your might to get through each day, drop to your knees (that’s what they’re for) to bow down and let him know how much you love him just for who he is.

He’ll show up again—you can count on it.

^a Barna Update, May 4, 2004, http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/140-number-of-unchurched-adults-has-nearly-doubled-since-199.