I posted a video link yesterday to Anne Jackson’s (Flowerdust) vimeo site about a pastor who had experienced what we call ministry burn out. I hope you watched it. Raw and honest, it poignantly portrays the emotion and complexity of this reality for many ministers.

Truth be told, the condition of burn out is not exclusive to ministers. Every human being is susceptible for many reasons, but I believe that the main reason is the water in the glass principle (Yep. I just made that name up, but it’s an apporpriate description.). In this principle, every person is likened to a glass. The summation of their energies, skills, talents, passions and hopes is the water in the glass. As with all glasses, a person can only hold so much water. In othe words, each person has been given the ability to contain only so much energy, skill and talent. When you expend your energy on any project, organization or person, you are like the glass that is pouring out the water inside. Soon, the water will disappear, and the glass must be replenished.

There are several reasons why people will continue to pour out their water despite the danger of burnout (the empty glass). Among them are a false sense of loyalty to a cause or person, an unwillingness to deal with pain in an area of life causing them to pour themselves into other areas of life, a fear of failure and consequently, rejection or an overestimation of one’s amount of water (Good old fashioned pride.). I don’t know which one you may be struggling with, but I assure you that if you continue to burn the wick at both ends, you will burn. I know some leaders in ministry who are thoroughly burnt out, yet tell me that they are still okay. Yeah, they still hold their position and title, but they are not accomplishing anything! They have nothing left to give.

Tragedy or being the victim of authority abuse is not always requirements for burn out. Sometimes, the soul just gets weary and needs a break. The glass needs to be refilled. And that’s okay. There was this thing I read about once that we may wish to consider–a Sabbath rest.

Have you ever felt like your glass was getting empty? How did you refill it?