beating burnout

When I was a teenager, a burnout was a guy who smoked too much dope. Now, it is the person who doesn't know how to say "no" to an opportunity and winds up sick and tired of doing anything.

Today, in my Covenant Group (a group of seven pastor-friends who meet once a month for community, accountability, and goofing around) discussed a book we all read - Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic. Honestly, I didn't enjoy the book all that much because I don't have that much of an issue with overdoing stuff. There were some interesting and helpful parts, however. If you are in ministry and have issues with expectations and boundaries, it may be a good read for you. I read it in about 5 hours on a recent flight.

I brought a resource along to share with the guys that I received from my friend and colleague, J Simms. It was from author Donald Miller's blog. The article was called, "Knowing Your Work Style Can Help You Avoid Burnout". You can take a look at it here. I really like Miller's work and this post was pretty helpful, considering our topic.

If you are cooked and have no more energy for life, take a break. Read the book. Check out the blog. Let God refresh you. Life will be fun again.