Burnout Isn't the End of Your Story!Sample

One of the hardest things in life is to change and sustain that change.

Whether you have an addiction, are a people-pleaser, or are just burned out, changing your patterns and maintaining new, healthier ones is not easy. Sometimes, the most significant resistance you get to making the change is not internal—it's from those around you.

In Mark 5, Jesus encounters a man possessed by many demons. The man lived alone, naked among the tombs, unable to be chained. I cannot imagine the loneliness, despair, and agony this man must have known. But Jesus came and exorcized the demons, sending them into a large number of pigs who drowned in a nearby lake.

When the townspeople came out to see what happened, they were shocked to find the man dressed and in his right mind, sitting next to Jesus. Terrified by the change in this man and the death of their livestock, they tell Jesus He must leave their area.

The man begs to go with Jesus, and I'm assuming because leaving was more comfortable than staying. But Jesus tells him no, calling him to return to his people and testify to what God's mercy did to transform him.

I don't know what God has in store for you. Your healing journey may lead you into a different place, away from where you experienced burnout. It's also possible that you will heal, and God will work in and through you in the exact spot where you experienced deep hurt and pain.

When I admitted my burnout, I began pursuing healing, and I didn't move to a new church for another four years. I shared my story, and others watched me change how I lived and led. Many people came to me for advice and encouragement during those four years and the years that followed. I was so grateful that God redeemed my mistakes and allowed my healing to inspire others to pursue the same goal.

Rory Vaden coaches authors and speakers. He teaches his students a simple but powerful truth. "You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were." Burnout isn't the end of your story if you allow God to heal and renew you. Your story can be a tool God uses to bring victory in your life and hope in the life of someone else.

But, there may be some people who resist the changes you're making. You may even experience spiritual resistance. In Revelation 12, a loud voice from heaven spoke about how the believers experienced victory over Satan. "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Sharing our testimony is our path to victory while showing others that victory is possible for them, too.

I pray that you sense how full of hope I am when I write that burnout isn't the end of God's story for your life. My friend, Ken Pettis, passed away several years ago after a long battle with AIDS. Ken had a wild testimony of God's grace at work in his life. The final time I called him, I got his voicemail, which included this message. "Remember, God's not in your story. You're in His!"

You are part of God's grand story, and not even burnout is more powerful than our God. I'm praying for your healing and God's grace to be at work in you. I'm excited that God's healing power won't stop with you.

So, get ruthlessly honest with yourself, God, and others. Repent and go in a new direction. Confess what's happened and seek the prayerful support of those around you. Start doing the work to unlearn old ways and embrace the rhythms of God's grace. Trust God to write a story through your life that's even better than you'd ever have imagined.

It's been an honor to encourage you over the last several days. Click here for complimentary access to one of the most encouraging resources I've ever created, entitled Don't Give Up When It's Time to Change: 10 Things You Need to Hear When You're Ready to Quit.