Pushed Into Sabbath Rest Through Burnout
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 9:33AM It is no accident that you are at this place. You haven't been here before because you weren't ready (maybe desperate enough) to embrace it as a person grabs a life jacket from a sinking ship. Now you want it. You need it. You are ready to do whatever it takes to get your life back.
Ironically, we all could have enjoyed it much earlier but it usually takes our own drivenness to bring us to the place of desperate emptiness. Be aware of the danger of blaming others for the place you now find yourself. Burn out tends to start by pointing to others and saying, "This is somehow your fault..."
The beauty of brutal honesty is surrendering at the place where we confess, "Lord, this is my fault. I failed to grasp the significance of Sabbath. I built my life on the affirmations of others. I pushed hard to do your work for you. And I failed to understand that all you invited me to do was grow into you."
One of the Biblical discoveries (John 1) is in the teaching of Logos. It is literally saying that Jesus is the presence of the life of God. It isn't simply that we find meaning in Jesus. It is the fact that Jesus created life itself. It is far more powerful than I had understood. Jesus is what we would call "life." When he teaches that he "has come that we might have life," and when he says, "I am the way, the truth and the life;" he isn't simply referring to the fact that salvation is found in him. He is saying that my very existence is dependent upon him. My sense of meaning and purpose is dependent upon him. Every inquiry I make into the spiritual plain is directed through him. He is the mediator - the "switchboard operator" who directs my soul's longing to its ultimate source.
That is your Sabbath rest's purpose. You are being drawn back to life, new life. Life that isn't limited to your ability and charm. It is additional life that flows from a source you are beginning to recognize but yet to understand. Sabbath teaches you to learn how to drink deeply, rest completely, live "abandonedly". That is my prayer for you.
Burn out can hold anger, resentment, frustration. Rather than trying to rid yourself of it, embrace it. Thank God for it. It only reveals in greater depth, the truth of our own ugliness. That in itself is a wonderful gift because it reminds us that "apart from him, I can do nothing." "All my efforts amount to nothing more than a filthy rag." To know that fully frees us to die completely and be reborn as a child nurtured by God himself. That is a gift - so are our weaknesses.
Burned Out in Sabbath
Reader Comments (7)
I think i've seen this somewhere before�but it's not bad at all
I really like your blog and i respect your work. I'll be a frequent visitor.
Very interesting article. I´ve enjoy reading it David.
Beautiful.
The thing we tend to forget as we are consumed in the cares of life is that God is infact our creator. The first 4 commands of the law are summarized in "Love God with all your heart soul and mind." Resting with God and "remembering" or believing that He is our creator is how we love Him. It takes so much faith to sit back and let God look after our needs for a day, but if we truely believe He is our creator, than this becomes a gift, and not "burdensome." Revelation repeats the sabbath command by saying "worship Him who created the heavens earth and springs of water..."
Worship? what an odd way to worship God. But when you think about it, resting from our labours and spending a day with God can only be done if we truely believe God is our creator, and is far bigger than our bills, carreers, social life, etc..
It comes down to faith. If I have a contract, or opportunity to make a business transaction of some sort on the sabbath, or a new job that requires me to work on the sabbath, do I truely believe i will be better off by turning it down? Do I believe God is bigger than my narrow tunnel vision, and has something better waiting that won't interfere with our day together? Any time God allows our faith to be challenged is a priviledge to see the true power of God at work. I have found that choosing to spend this day with God has always worked out better (even financially) in the end.
Cool thoughts here Dave...I wish I would have read this years ago...how come it took you so long to post!
:)
And this is the reason I love paradigmministries.ca. Sunning post.
whats up everyone
just registered and put on my todo list
hopefully this is just what im looking for looks like i have a lot to read.