“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Burn out is real. When we rely a little too much on ourselves and put entirely too much worth in our productivity, it won’t take long before we’re completely depleted. It happens. Even with the best of intentions, it’s easy to get caught up in our daily lives. Things have to get done. Work piles up and the laundry needs doing and somehow or another everyone has to get fed.
But the expectations we often put on ourselves are unrealistic and unfair. While we were all created to do incredible things, God never intended for us to run ourselves ragged. In fact, God values rest. The Bible even commands it. Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. Exodus 34:21. But even with a little bit of rest, sometimes it’s hard to find strength, motivation, and stamina. What do we do when it’s not our bodies but our souls that are tired?
By the end of last year, I thought I was done. For good. I thought I’d never create another thing, write another word, inspire another person. My heart, soul and creativity were completely depleted. I waved the white flag and surrendered.
I’d come to the end of myself. I was out of ideas and solutions. I pulled the cord on the treadmill, stopping dead in my tracks; lost, scared, and exhausted. Exhausted.
As someone who values productivity, giving up felt completely unnatural. But sometimes we have to come to a full stop to recalibrate. It was in those moments of stillness that I found myself having quiet conversations with God. I started to rely more on Him and less on myself. And in doing so, I felt myself slowly coming back to life; renewal. I listened instead of speaking, and new life breathed into my soul. In Him, I found clarity and direction, and I moved at His pace; a pace of sustainability.
We have a limited source of strength, friends. But hope and faith can be infinite. If we rely only on ourselves, eventually our well will run dry. But with hope and faith, our strength will continue to be renewed.
You can do anything but not everything.
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