Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Can I ask you to do something a little bit hard today? I want you to think back to the hardest time of your life. I'll go first. Years back, I was pastoring in my local church and I was enjoying what I was doing. I'm sort of the jack of all trades. I love jumping around, and so I wasn't the expert at anything in the room, but I loved being a part of it all.
Over the years, staff had come and staff had gone. With budgets being tight, it's easier to let somebody move on to their next season and leave a gap there. Maybe you're like me, you can relate to this feeling of if there's a gap that I can fill, I would love to jump in and help. The problem was that over the next couple of years, I found myself doing more like the job of three people and only had the time of one, while also trying to make time for my friends and my family and life outside of church.
When Burnout Sets In
I'll admit, I was tired. I was growing weary. I was turning inward to myself. AI wish that I had the reminder of Paul's words in our verse today from Philippians chapter 3 and verse 14, he says, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” I wish that I had woken up every morning and given myself the spiritual pep talk to run that good race, to find endurance and trust that if Jesus was calling me into this, that He would see me through.
I wanted to fight the good fight, but to be completely transparent with you, I was losing and I was losing bad. I had wrestled with my faith. I had pushed deep into depression. I had sunk myself into work. I was distancing myself from friends and families and loved ones, all hoping that if I could just ignore the pain, I could push through and everyone would be better for it.
I met with one of my mentors and he just looked me in the eyes and he said, Chris, people love the burnt out version of you. Not because they want you to burn out, but because you're willing to do everything. Eventually, that's going to end. I wish I had taken his advice in that moment, but I laughed, agreed, and moved on.
The Breaking Point and Breakthrough
Then I started to spiral. One day it all just came undone. I cracked, and the messiness in here spilled out into my life. I did the only thing I could do. I gave it all up to God. I stepped back from my roles and my title. I stepped into a healthier community. I invested in my family as my first and primary ministry.
I realigned my heart with God. I learned to hear His voice. I learned to sense His calling and go where He wanted me to go, not where I wanted me to go.
I want to encourage you that it might not always be easy. I wish I had three steps that made it all work out in an instant. But I can tell you that Jesus is calling you to this race. The best part about it is He's already guaranteed your victory. He's not asking you to be the fastest or the strongest or the smartest.
He's asking you to show up. He's asking you to prioritize health spiritually, mentally, emotionally. He's asking you to be consistent in pursuing Him day after day after day. Let's run this race and let's never run it alone. We've got God on our side. We've got people here to support us. We don't race for victory. We race from victory.
