The Passion for Living | Lifesigns Magazine

I once read a sign that said, “Today's not a good day for breakdown... and tomorrow doesn't look like a good day either!” Yet the question remains: How can those who have lived life full of passion find themselves drained of all energy and direction and wind up in a state of burnout? This kind of thing does not happen overnight. Those experiencing burnout have gotten there over time by making a series of bad decisions.

Burnout is no respecter of persons. Whether you are in the White House or the poor house, burnout is an equal opportunity enemy.

In first Samuel chapter 12, when Saul heard how the Ammonites wanted to disgrace Israel, the scripture says that the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him. He led an attack on the Ammonites and defeated them in battle. The prophet, Samuel, then confirmed Saul to be king of Israel. In the early years, King Saul had clear vision and cared about the well-being of the people of Israel. He served the kingdom for 42 years. Although he was a strong warrior along with his son Jonathan, he was not consistent in his faith. On one occasion while spending time with the prophets, he actually prophesied with them; yet when asked to obey the Lord, he didn’t. This disobedience revealed his divided heart. In 1 Samuel 13, he offered a burnt offering on the battlefield instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel to perform the duty himself. King Saul did not have a reverence and respect for the Holy. In 1 Samuel 15, he was told to kill the evil King Amalek… which he did not do!

King Saul started out very focused on winning battles for Israel and being a friend to the prophets, but he didn’t take care of the simple issues such as obedience and relationship with God. It ended up costing him his kingdom. After losing his position, Saul became a tormented man, full of anger and revenge, obsessed with pursuing and killing [King] David. He was tormented by evil spirits. However, when David would play on the harp, the scripture says the evil spirits would depart from Saul. At the worst stage of his burnout, he ordered diviners to call up the ghost of Samuel to help them win a battle. That of course did not work. It was in that battle that both Saul and Jonathan lost their lives.

It’s painful to watch someone who started off their life with such passion end in burnout and even death.

WHY WE BURN OUT

Overwork and Excessive Stress

One of the most common causes of burnout is working too much without sufficient rest. When you take on too many responsibilities or have an overwhelming workload, the constant pressure can lead to mental and physical exhaustion. Without breaks or time to recharge, the body and mind become drained, leading to burnout. The inability to set boundaries between work and personal life is often the root cause.

Lack of Vision or Control

When you feel like you have little direction or control over your work or personal life, it can create feelings of helplessness and frustration. When you feel powerless to change any of that because it's being controlled at a level above you, you begin to lose hope. This sense of powerlessness contributes to feelings of burnout as you struggle to find motivation and purpose.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision or revelation, people perish or cast off restraint!” This basically means that when you do not have a passionate, clear vision for your life, you no longer have the strength to make good decisions. How many people through the years have we watched who had a devastating ending because of bad decisions?

Lack of Support and Recognition

Without adequate support from colleagues, managers, or loved ones, you may feel isolated and unappreciated. A lack of recognition for hard work or achievement can diminish your sense of purpose, leading to burnout. Positive feedback and encouragement are essential for maintaining morale and motivation, and when these are absent, the emotional toll can be significant. This can lead to feeling disconnected and exhausted.

Passion for life can be restored. Here are three basic steps towards that goal.

Find your God-given purpose.

We were all created with God-given purpose.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

It's important that we know what we're called to do. This can be revealed while we renew our mind on the Word of God. If we do not develop a lifestyle of renewing our minds, then we spend our life doing things that are not fulfilling, waking up one day with the realization that we have wasted our life… and for what? The flip side of this coin is this: when you discover your purpose and pour your time and energy into something life giving—or even better, something with eternal value—you will find that time spent fulfilling your God-given purpose actually energizes you.

Do life with life-giving people.

Christians have a built-in community from which to draw strength. The church! Doing life alone and isolated will set you up for failure. Not only will the enemy of your soul tempt you and draw you away, but loneliness will set in. Loneliness can then lead to depression, and depression can lead to burnout. Statistics show that the happiest people alive are those in a close community with other life-giving people. Don't just attend church! Connect your life with those who will encourage you when you're walking through difficult seasons.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.”

Create a rhythm of work, rest, and recreation.

We all need a rhythm to our life. We all need downtime. Believe it or not, we all need a work routine. Hard work is healthy for our souls. Many times it's not work that tires us out. It's the fact that our life is out of rhythm. What do you do to refresh your mind? What do you do to refresh your emotions? What do you do to refresh your body? We have learned that there must be a rhythm to life. I personally need time alone to be able to think and process what life throws my way. We all need margin. Have you ever been made to feel guilty because you wanted to rest? Or worse than that, you felt wrong if you took time to play? This type of thinking is toxic. We need a rhythm of all three: work, rest, and play. The word for play is “recreate”! It means to re-create or be created all over again.

A Sabbath is God’s idea. To keep us from being overworked and living with stress that leads to burnout, the Lord instructs us to take a sabbath. This is a 24-hour period every week where we rest from work and spend time with family, friends, and the Lord. We must value and prioritize our sabbath time or it will never get scheduled. It will surprise you how often something tries to interfere with this priority. So, we must value it enough to keep it consistent. Sandy (my wife) and I look forward to these times of refreshing every week.

John 10:11 says that Jesus came to give us life and that we might have it more abundantly.

Jesus didn’t come and die on the cross so that we could just get by. He came that we might have life overflowing, full of grace and joy. You were called to be filled with the life of God and to let that life pour through you. Life is too precious to live it recklessly and let it drive you into the ground.

I have come to realize through the years that the longer you know Jesus, the deeper you love Him. The deeper you love Him, the more passion you have for life. I have walked with the Lord for over 45 years. I have more passion for life and the things of God today than ever before. There’s an old song that says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows!” This has been proven to be reality in my life, and I want this for you. So begin today to take the time and develop your rhythm for life. Fall back in love with Jesus and let your heart be filled again with Passion to Live.