I have always been fascinated by space shuttle launches. I have never been to one live and, with the space shuttle program shutting down next year, I may never have that opportunity. I have watched a number of the launches on television and, even through that medium, it is still a powerful experience. It is amazing to see the power and force of the rockets as they initially engage, hurtling a 75 ton shuttle into space against all the forces of gravity. As the shuttle lifts off, it seems as if the rockets might keep going forever; even if they detached from the shuttle, the rockets just might continue into space, forever burning and reaching brand new heights. But, inevitably, the rockets expend their fuel and come crashing back down to earth. This is called burnout and it is something with which we are far too familiar.
I was studying a devotional guide for Romans 12:1-13. One of the questions in the guide was “What are reasons people lose excitement and vision for using their gifts?” Basically, why do people burnout? And the verse that stuck out to me was Romans 12:9.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
I’ve read that verse before but, within the context of the question, it really stuck out to me. One of the reasons that I’ve lost excitement for using my gifts for God is that I have clung to what it is evil and hated what is good.
Sin can have a large impact on whether or not we burnout. Clinging to what is evil and hating what is good eventually pulls us away from God. Whether it’s the slow burn of wandering away over time or the quick burn of jumping into sin, burnout comes when we are distant from God. This can happen as a result of sin or from getting consumed by the busyness of life. Burnout even happens when we are consumed by the work we’re doing for God; the implementation of our gifts can often pull us ways from the one who gave them to us. However we’re pulled away, though, distance from God will lead us to burnout; it’s inevitable.
If God isn’t at the center of our lives, then we’ve lost the purpose for our service. If our desire for God is fading, then our desire to serve him is going to fade as well. If we want to faithfully and effectively serve God, then he needs to stay at the center of our lives, he needs to maintain primacy. When God remains at the center of our lives we better understand who it is we’re serving and why we serve. Without that purpose, our service becomes empty; our rocket is moving without any fuel. And when we run out of whatever reserves we have, we’ll come crashing back down to earth. Truly, purposeless service is a dangerous prospect, one we should avoid at all costs.
So how do we avoid service burnout? How can we ensure that our service always has purpose? Jesus said it best in John 15: stay connected.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
We have to learn how to remain in Jesus; we have to figure out what it means for us to abide in Jesus. We need to draw near to him and stay there. With Christ at the center, our service will keep its purpose. We’ll be able to continually use our gifts to serve God’s kingdom, avoiding burnout because we know the source who infinitely replenishes us.
How do you remain in Jesus on a daily basis?
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