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Remember JOY

By: Mindy Hopman

READY

“Do not grieve, because the joy of the LORD is your strength.”—Nehemiah 8:10

SET

When a person sprains an ankle or breaks a leg, it’s obvious an injury occurred due to a large amount of stress. However, when a person suffers internally, the injury is not as obvious. Sometimes small doses of stress over a period of time may become overwhelming to the point one may begin to feel mentally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally exhausted. We call this “burnout,” and for competitors, it can be their strongest personal opponent. Identifying the triggers of burnout is important, so you can strategize how to fight against it.

Coming to Jesus and following His pace might not come naturally, especially when the frustration of burnout brings unhappiness. Let’s look a little closer at what we can do to fill our physical, emotional, and spiritual buckets.

Remember JOY

If you have lost your joy of competition, remember your why. One of my favorite football coaches often reminded his team that JOY stands for “Jesus, Others, and You.” The first priority is to spend time with Jesus. Find a moment each day to read God’s Word and pray. Your relationship with God comes first. The more time we spend with God, the more our growth in God spills into all areas of life.

Recovery Time

If you are exhausted, give yourself recovery time. Rest comes from getting adequate sleep, nutrients, and hydration. But there’s a deeper recovery time you need to schedule into your routine to make sure you are spiritually rested. True rest comes from spending time in God’s Word, going to church, and praying and spending time with believers who will love, pray for, and support you through the hard seasons.

Boundaries

Setting boundaries and establishing expectations from the beginning of the season helps others know where the lines are for them to work hard, to reach for, and to stay within. Setting boundaries helps you manage your time better and not take on extra responsibilities. Boundaries set ahead of time in love bring respect, not rebellion.

God strengthens us and calls us to follow His pace, so we can avoid burnout and instead work from His overflow.

GO

1. What demands the most attention in your life right now? Are there ways to rearrange your daily schedule to relieve any unnecessary pressure?
2. Which of the three would you like God to help give you more freedom with: remembering JOY, recovery time, or boundaries? Why?
3. Plan out as best you can a week full of recovery time and healthy boundaries to be with the Lord and refresh your spirit.

WORKOUT

• Matthew 11:28-29
• John 4:13-14
• Romans 12:16-18

OVERTIME

Father, there are so many things and people that demand my attention. Would You reset my spirit with Your rest and grace? Help me refuel with time spent in Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.