Avoid Burnout

But he [Elijah] went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a lone broom or juniper tree and asked that he might die. He said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers. 1 Kings 19:4




Those who are addicted to approval frequently get 'burned out.' For them there always exists the danger of attempting too much. They so desperately want to please that they do everything they feel is expected of them and then some. Sometimes they say yes just because they cannot say no, not because they think their actions are the will of God. They burn out for lack of discernment or because of unwarranted guilt. And then, their anger builds.

We become angry when we feel all used up and pulled in every direction. Burnout makes us angry, because we recognize deep down inside that it is not normal. We become angry with the people pressuring us, when in reality we are allowing ourselves to be pressured. To avoid pressure from others and from ourselves, we must take control of our lives under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Once when I was complaining about my heavy schedule, I heard the Holy Spirit say, 'You are the one who makes your schedule. If you don't like it, then do something about it.'


Prayer: Lord, pressure comes from every side, and it seems impossible to keep up. Help me to take control of my commitments and eliminate what is not of You. Amen.

















From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions (except the picture) by Joyce Meyer.

Escape the Guilt Trap

How often do you commit a sin, and then fail to find a way to move past the regret and shame you feel? Most people wrestle with guilt from time to time.

The dictionary defines guilt as 1.) "the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law" and 2.) "a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined."1 In other words, guilt has two components—the actual offense and the feelings that accompany it.

A. Handling our Guilt. Once we start to feel remorseful about our wrongdoing, we often fail to respond to our guilt in a healthy manner.

• Read Psalm 38:4 and Proverbs 28:17.

B. The Purpose of Guilt. Guilt is actually a God-given emotion. It has at least three functions: to prompt us to ask for forgiveness from those we hurt; to motivate us to make restitution whenever we can; and to draw us back to the Lord. In terms of our relationship with the Lord, the solution to guilty feelings is simple.

• Read about David's experience with guilt in Psalm 32:1-6.

C. Receiving Forgiveness. Many believers are unable to receive God's forgiveness due to the emotional programming they've received from their upbringing, their church, or their culture. For instance, their parents might have expected them to be perfect, so they have a difficult time accepting ourselves when they make moral mistakes. Or, other authority figures may have emphasized what horrible and shameful children they were when they did anything wrong and refused to comfort the children after disciplining them.

How can you escape these negative patterns of dealing with guilt? The secret is to train your mind to believe God's truth—found in His Word—instead of your feelings.

• Read Psalm 86:5 and Psalm 65:3 to see what the Word says about God's willingness to forgive.

• Acts 10:43 says everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness for his or her sins. All sins that we confesss are forgiven (Colossians 2:13).

If you feel guilty after confessing your sins, you know your feelings are not lining up with God's truth. Find Scriptures that talk about God's forgiveness and your righteousness in Christ, such as Colossians 1:21-22. Write them down in a list or on note cards. Then, read through the encouraging verses and dwell on what they mean. Your emotions will eventually follow your thoughts, and you will be free from feeling guilty.

Closing: Christ's death made a way for you to be completely free from the guilt of sin—not only the offense but also the feelings that accompany it. Admit your guilt to God and those you offended, make restitution when you can, and return to living in a manner that pleases the Lord.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your amazing grace that covers our sin. We never have to wallow in feelings of guilt. Remind us to turn to You, focusing on the truth in your Word, instead of trusting our emotions. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.



I read this today on Charles Stanley's website (story reference) and it was written by him.