You have a name that you are alive, yet you are dead. Be continually watchful and begin to strengthen the things which remain, which are about to die. For I have not found your works complete before my God. Rev. 3:1, 2.
Pastor Charles (not his real name) could not put his finger on it, but something was wrong. Although he spent his usual hour in devotions each morning, nothing he read seemed to connect. When he prayed, his prayers seemed to get no higher than the ceiling. People received his sermons well, and they were powerful. They seemed to change lives. Yet the joy of ministry was gone. He knew how to be an effective pastor, and everyone around him thought he was one, yet he knew deep inside that he was just going through the motions.
We call it "ministerial burnout." Burnout can also occur in lay Christians. Jesus described it as "having a name that you are alive yet you are dead." Sometimes burnout is a sign that we have overcommitted ourselves. Other times it indicates that we have allowed people to move us away from our purpose. We are busy, but the things that really matter aren't getting done.
Sardis had a great name--it had "star status"--and yet Jesus thought it was dead. What happened to it represents a threat that faces every church and every Christian. Many are the Christians whose hearts are in the right place but who have no delight in the faith and find it difficult to serve God. What do you do when you sense that the things of Christ are not as exciting to you as they once were? I have found the following to be helpful.
1. Have a willingness to change things. If you don't feel willing to change, let God know that you are willing to be made willing (John 7:17). Many times I feel spiritually divided: 30 percent of me wants to serve God with all my heart, and 70 percent of me is tired and doesn't feel like it right now. If you put what you have on the altar, He can grow your commitment into a firm decision.
2. Make a radical and firm decision. Jesus used the strong word "Repent!" You may have to take decisive action, throw things out, change your job, do something radical. Say to yourself, "I am not going to let another day go by without taking action to be where God wants me to be."
3. Go back to the place where you last saw the light. Keep a journal and write down the high points of your spiritual life. When things are not going well, you can read the journal and be encouraged. The best devotional book you'll ever find is the one you write yourself.
4. Develop a sense of eschatological accountability. Jesus is returning and will ask all of us to give an account of our lives. When we realize the value of every thought and action in the light of eternity, it will motivate us to move with decisive action.
Lord, rekindle the fire of the Spirit in my heart today.
Pastor Charles (not his real name) could not put his finger on it, but something was wrong. Although he spent his usual hour in devotions each morning, nothing he read seemed to connect. When he prayed, his prayers seemed to get no higher than the ceiling. People received his sermons well, and they were powerful. They seemed to change lives. Yet the joy of ministry was gone. He knew how to be an effective pastor, and everyone around him thought he was one, yet he knew deep inside that he was just going through the motions.
We call it "ministerial burnout." Burnout can also occur in lay Christians. Jesus described it as "having a name that you are alive yet you are dead." Sometimes burnout is a sign that we have overcommitted ourselves. Other times it indicates that we have allowed people to move us away from our purpose. We are busy, but the things that really matter aren't getting done.
Sardis had a great name--it had "star status"--and yet Jesus thought it was dead. What happened to it represents a threat that faces every church and every Christian. Many are the Christians whose hearts are in the right place but who have no delight in the faith and find it difficult to serve God. What do you do when you sense that the things of Christ are not as exciting to you as they once were? I have found the following to be helpful.
1. Have a willingness to change things. If you don't feel willing to change, let God know that you are willing to be made willing (John 7:17). Many times I feel spiritually divided: 30 percent of me wants to serve God with all my heart, and 70 percent of me is tired and doesn't feel like it right now. If you put what you have on the altar, He can grow your commitment into a firm decision.
2. Make a radical and firm decision. Jesus used the strong word "Repent!" You may have to take decisive action, throw things out, change your job, do something radical. Say to yourself, "I am not going to let another day go by without taking action to be where God wants me to be."
3. Go back to the place where you last saw the light. Keep a journal and write down the high points of your spiritual life. When things are not going well, you can read the journal and be encouraged. The best devotional book you'll ever find is the one you write yourself.
4. Develop a sense of eschatological accountability. Jesus is returning and will ask all of us to give an account of our lives. When we realize the value of every thought and action in the light of eternity, it will motivate us to move with decisive action.
Lord, rekindle the fire of the Spirit in my heart today.
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