Burnout Is Real: Obey Your Thirst

Burnout is a real thing a real internal experience that one can start to feel before physical symptoms show up. It happens when work has overloaded you more than you have prioritized resting. I am not talking about going to sleep. I am talking about halting from physical activity. It does not just mean hard labor it can be simply thinking about projects, working on projects, or even processing expectations on projects. Completing your tasks, taking on other people’s tasks and soon your mind, body, and your spirit are fatigued.

You become irritable. Your performance starts to diminish. You can feel it physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is exhausting in a way that sleep cannot fix.

Burnout can come from the workplace or even church. It comes from life. The workload is out of control. It is excessive. It is chaotic. It is high pressure for days on days. There is no balance, no support, and you have taken on too much responsibility with no help or relief.

I felt it recently, and it was not a good feeling. I felt like I was losing control. I felt like giving it up. It was in that moment I decided to step back and choose rest over busyness. Rest over working. Rest over prioritizing others.

I said, I just want to sit and be me. Sit and not think about the next task. Sit and laugh. Sit and watch. Sit and do absolutely nothing because that is my business.

I shifted to that place only to find that my soul was thirsty.

In 1994, a marketing campaign launched for Sprite called “Obey Your Thirst.” The message was simple. It urged consumers to disregard the noise of societal expectations, pressures, and opinions and to pursue their own path.

This is something that we as women in ministry have to do often. We must disregard the noise of busyness, pressure, expectations, and the opinions of others, and pursue the path of rest.

When we feel that overwhelming feeling coming in or anxiety or just fatigue, we must stop and say, “Girl, obey your thirst.”

For us as women in ministry, there is more being communicated than meets the eye. Our soul is crying out for Jesus. The Holy Spirit is saying, I am encouraging you to find rest in Jesus.

The Bible says it this way in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

What a majestic invitation that is from our Savior. One thing that the troubles of this life and sin do is pull us away from Jesus. These moments we encounter are our soul saying, come home back to where you belong. Come and commit yourself to Christ and obey His direction.'

Is this not the very direction He spoke to those who are weary burned out? He does not just give direction. He gives relief. “And I will give you rest.”

Obey your thirst and then obey the direction of Jesus Christ’s words. In Christ, we find freedom and relief from the heaviness of life. There is also peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit that shows up to lead us through those challenging, overwhelming moments. There, you will find strength to navigate those seasons and strategy for how to move in a new way when you emerge.

Obey your thirst, daughter, and be renewed today. Accept the inner presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit wants to bring you new life today.

Maybe you have forgotten to just breathe. Today is your day to breathe again. To give God full access to you. Let Him breathe on you right now, that He may bring forth new life in you and through you.

Obey your thirst so that God can pour rivers of living water. Let it flow to you so it can flow through you to others. There is healing in this living water Christ has for you. Accept it and go forth in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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If this spoke to your heart…

share it, receive it, and don’t ignore it.

Then take your next step:

Join us at the Breathe Again Gathering.

It’s time for you to breathe again.