I'm Just Burned Out!

"I'm just burned out!" is a phrase I hear way too often. I have felt it myself. What does it really mean? I'm tired. I'm bummed. I'm not getting my way. I'm bored. I'm not committed. I'm not in agreement. I don't know, but it seems to me the list could go on and on.

What happens after someone tells us that "I'm just burned out!" What that means, most generally, in big flaming bright lights is "I'm leaving the church." Yes, "I'm just burned out!" is code language for "I'm leaving the church." In almost every case that I have been told this, leaving the church comes next.

I believe that Jesus talked about being 'burned out' in Matthew 24. In vs 8, he says, "All these are the beginning of birth pains." He has already stated certain things that will happen in the world around us such as wars, earthquakes and famine. After saying the birth pains verse, he goes on to say in vs 10, "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other." In vs 12 he says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold," and in vs 13 he says, "but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Paul writes in II Thessalonians 2:3, "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed...". The KJV of this same text says, "that day will not come until there is a falling away first."

So what do you do when you get burned out? Leaving the church isn't the answer. I suggest that you get on your knees and have a real heart to heart talk with God Almighty. Most of being "burned out" does not come from the outside, but the inside (remember Paul calls it rebellion). Ask God to show you your heart, the very inside of you. Ask God what to do to get past the "burned out" (rebellion) feeling. Read Revelation 2 & 3 and notice how many times Jesus says, "To him who overcomes, I will...." A time is coming when we will say, "I am just burned out!" That can be good. John the Baptist says in Matthew 3:11, "He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." We are at a time when we all need to get "burned out" in the right way. Let's ask God to burn the bad stuff out of us and make more room for the good stuff. Let's makes more room for the Holy Spirit to live within us! Think about it!