Many people don’t struggle with sleep because they lack time. They struggle because they can’t turn their minds off. Psalm 4:8 gives a simple but profound contrast:“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (NIV) The verse connects two things we often separate—peace and sleep. When peace
Why Anxiety Ruins Sleep Read More »
One of the most revealing stories about exhaustion in the Bible appears in 1 Kings 19. Elijah had just experienced a dramatic spiritual victory on Mount Carmel. Yet immediately afterward he collapsed emotionally. Threatened by Jezebel, he fled into the wilderness and finally said, “I have had enough, Lord… Take my life” (1 Kings 19:4 NIV). In
Elijah’s Burnout Recovery Plan Read More »
Burnout rarely announces itself. It creeps in quietly. Psalm 127 opens with a warning: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” (NIV) Then it adds: “In vain you rise early and stay up late…” (v. 2) The repetition of in
Why Leaders (or anybody) Burn Out Faster Than They Expect Read More »
We all carry baggage not only from our family of origin, but also from our previous ministry experiences. For some, that baggage may feel like a light daypack. For others, it may feel like a 100-pound duffle bag. How can we deal with this pain so that it doesn’t affect our families, ourselves, and our
How to Deal with Ministry Pain Read More »
An aviation term called a death spiral describes what can happen to a plane in nighttime or poor flying conditions when a pilot loses his sense of the plane’s horizontal orientation. The plane can begin to spin uncontrollable. Unless the pilot pulls out, he can spiral out of control and crash. In ministry, leaders can
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