http://krisvallotton.com/one-way-to-work-through-burnout/
When was the last time you felt truly rested? I’ve
noticed that most people these days have no idea how to rest, and I’ve heard of
so many people being diagnosed with fatigue related health issues. It’s
becoming more and more common to hear about burn out and I honestly don’t know
many people who practice a true sabbath. I think part of the problem is having
access to work at our fingertips and emails coming through to our phones every
day. However, I think an even bigger problem is that many people don’t understand
the season they’re in. I don’t just mean season of life like the difference
between being single or being a first-time parent. I’m talking about the
metaphorical spiritual seasons that we ebb and flow through life in.
WHY SEASONS MATTER
So many of us have lost a sense of seasons because we
aren’t operating in an agricultural culture. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says,
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the
heavens.” It’s so important that we understand what season we’re in, or we will
judge ourselves against the work that others are producing in very different
seasons than ourselves. If we don’t know the season we’re in we also run the
risk of putting our energy in places that won’t produce good fruit. A farmer
wouldn’t attempt to grow fruit in winter. It just wouldn’t work. He’d be
putting his efforts towards something that the season wasn’t going to work with
him in, and likely he’d end up with dead fruit. When you think about the
harvest season, it’s something a farmer works hard towards for months of time,
but he only has a few days to get the fruit from the trees. He’ll work 24/7 to
get everything done in that time. But how are those few days of 24/7 work
sustainable? By resting in the winter.
That’s why in the metaphoric winters of your life you
must rest, or you won’t have the needed energy in the harvest. So many people
are living in a performance driven culture and have lost a value for rest.
Maybe we even find our value in being busy and filling up our schedules. I
believe in hard work, but I also know there are seasons when we are called to
rest, shout grace, and emphasize God’s work in our lives. Other times we’re
sitting around waiting for God to show up and do something, but He’s actually
asking us to get up and do something with Him.
REALITY OF REST
The reality of rest is that it doesn’t just “happen” to
you. You have to guard it and therefore value it. I think this starts with our
mindsets and understanding that every season has a purpose. If you’re in a
winter season but are comparing yourself to someone who is harvesting, you may
find yourself striving to keep up. The truth is that we were designed to need
rest; that’s why God commanded us to sabbath. Remember that even He rested on
the seventh day after creating the world. Rest looks like knowing your season
and living in the grace God has given to you in that season. It also looks like
acceptance of the place and time you’re in, and choosing not to worry about the
harvest seasons to come. So once we understand the beauty of taking a break and
owning our winter seasons, it’s important that we camp out there until the
shift to the new season comes. Soak up every good gift that comes with the
winter; the quiet, the coziness, unwinding and slowing down. Don’t let other
people determine your rest based on their needs, or you’ll be worn out again
before you know it.
So, is God asking you to rest in this season? Or is He
asking you to pick yourself up by the bootstraps and work? Lean into Holy
Spirit to show you your season, and camp out there until He moves you on to
something new. Today I pray that the refreshing breath of God would blow over
you and fill you to a point of overflow. I pray that any weight you’re carrying
that is not for you to bear would fall off of your shoulders. I speak clarity
over your spirit for the season that God has you in, and grace to receive every
good thing He has for you in this time. Is it hard for you to take a break? How
do you work through that?
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