Ok,, I have spent a good part of my adult life, since getting married, trying to avoid getting burnt out. Not that it's a bad thing, but now instead of being worried about burning myself out, I can count on God refreshing me. There are so many things in life that we never try because of the costs, but there are times where God is saying "I'll cover the costs". For me, I hate feeling drained and burnt out and with 2 children and other things going on in life, I'm finding that I'm getting drained more often. At the same time, I know God doesn't want me to slow my pace in the direction where the Holy Spirit is moving. He just wants me to come to Him when I need refreshing and wait on it, to give me what I need to get moving again. I'm finding out that God doesn't want me to run away from getting drained or try to avoid it, He wants me to embrace it knowing that He will, in fact refresh me. There are 3 key scriptures that God has used in my life when I am burnt out or drained. This first one is the one that I started with, when I started experiencing burn out and lack of inspiration:
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
This is really causing me to examine myself to see what areas I am having doubts about God providing. Normally when we think of provision we are thinking money, or food, or something like that. But God provides so much more. What about peace? What about joy? What about healing? What about wisdom? What about light? What about companionship?
Isaiah 40:31New King James Version (NKJV)
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
God has taught me so much with the scripture verse above, but I think the key thing I learned is to "wait on the Lord". The renewing of my strength didn't happen immediately. There was a wait involved. When you wait, you have to make sure you are waiting on the right thing or person. Some people wait on the "T.V" to renew their strength. Others might wait on the "spa" to renew their strength. While still others might wait on "alchohol" to renew their strength. Others might wait on their husband or wife to renew their strength. I'm not saying these things are bad, but if it's strength you need, wait on the Lord to do it. Make Him the object of your wait. Sometimes you think you can keep it moving and somehow you will get some strength. I find when I do that, I am very unproductive in the work that I try to do. Many times I have to change my pace, so I can be in a waiting posture to get what I need from God, in order to keep being productive in my life and not counter productive. It takes faith to wait on the Lord. We have to believe that God will give us the strenth we need. I find that when we don't believe that God will provide what we need, we tend to hoard what we have. Like the guy, who buried his talents in the scriptures below:
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
This is really causing me to examine myself to see what areas I am having doubts about God providing. Normally when we think of provision we are thinking money, or food, or something like that. But God provides so much more. What about peace? What about joy? What about healing? What about wisdom? What about light? What about companionship?
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