Connected

"One of those days Jesus went out to

a mountainside to pray,

and spent the night praying to God.

When morning came,

he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them,

whom he also designated apostles:

Simon (whom he named Peter), 

his brother Andrew,

James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,

James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,

Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot,

who became a traitor."

Luke 6:12-16

Here is a simple quiz you can take to help determine whether you are at risk for burning out on the job or in your ministry:

1.  Do you feel run down and drained of physical or emotional energy?

2.  Do you find that you are prone to negative thinking about your job or ministry?

3.  Do you find that you are harder and less sympathetic with people than perhaps they deserve?

4.  Do you find yourself getting easily irritated by small problems, or by your co-workers or team?

5.  Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your co-workers or team members?

6.  Do you feel that you have no one to talk to?

7.  Do you feel that you are achieving less than you should?

8.  Do you feel under an unpleasant level of pressure to succeed?

9.  Do you feel that you are not getting what you want out of your job or ministry?

10.Do you feel there is more work than you practically have the ability to do?

Not only is this a great tool to use to determine whether or not I'm susceptible to burnout, but it is also an excellent way to gauge upon whose strength I am relying.

Jesus always stayed connected to His Father.  Consequently, His mind was always focused on His Father's will.  (Luke 2:49)  His habit of getting away from the task at hand and spending time in prayer with His Father kept Him in touch with the Source of all His power and gave Him an advantage when tackling the day to day frustrations that come with being human.

Wisdom

The world says that wisdom, or the power to judge and discern properly what is true and right, comes with age.  Psalm 111:10, however, says that, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."  Revering and placing God in the highest, most prominent position in my life begins a flow of His wisdom into my mind.  As I get closer to Him, He shows me how to live His way.   

Offering myself as a living sacrifice to God, committing myself to living for Him instead of for me, prompts Him to reveal His will to my transformed mind. (Romans 12:1-2) His way starts to become the preferred way for me.  

So when I'm connected to God and I'm faced with a major decision, my mind will be clear with the option He prepared for me at this time.  

When I'm following His lead and I come to a fork in the road, His preferred route will stand out to me as the clear path to follow.

When I am rightly related to my Father and disaster strikes, my heart will be at peace as He guides me through the steps He has for me.

Staying connected to my Father as Jesus did will give me wisdom to know His will for my life.

Strength

As a young adult, I competed in powerlifting.  As someone who was naturally strong, this sport seemed like a perfect outlet for me.  I ended up going to the Drug-Free Nationals and broke several records for my age group.  I had learned how to gain much physical strength.

But strong muscles do not naturally translate to emotional or spiritual strength.  If I'm physically fit, I am no better prepared to face the stresses and difficulties of life than my out-of-shape counterpart. 

I know a woman who is struggling with the loss of her daughter.  Her child did not die from a terrible disease, or run away from home.  No, this precious 14-year-old girl was abducted from the safety of her own bedroom.  To this day, the mother knows who took her, but not what her fate is.  Even though she is going through every parent's worst nightmare, she has an inner strength few can understand.  Some have called her cold and uncaring, others have assessed that she's in denial, still others wonder if she somehow played a part in this horrible act.  

The truth is, this mother has claimed, "The LORD as my strength and my shield." (Psalm 28:7) She knows from where her help comes (Psalm 121) and Who is the source of that assistance.  (Psalm 46:1-3)

Nineteenth-century clergyman Phillips Brooks put's it all into Kingdom perspective when he advised, "Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people!  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers: pray for powers equal to your tasks.  Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle but you shall be a miracle.  Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God."

Staying connected to my Father as Jesus did will provide an unlimited source of strength to live for Him, no matter what comes my way.

Purpose

John the Baptist never suffered from an identity crisis.  He had been taught from the moment he could understand what his purpose was here on earth: "to make straight the way for the Lord." (John 1:23)  John's purpose was clear and he never wavered from fulfilling that plan until his death by beheading.  (Matthew 14)

Unfortunately, most of us don't know so clearly the plan God has for us.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  Just the fact that a plan exists, however, is enough to give my life meaning.  If, instead, I thought life was a giant cosmic mistake, a series of events that occurred randomly and unintentionally resulted in the complexity that is human life, I would tend to think my life was pretty worthless.  What's the point if there's no greater plan?  

Thankfully, there is a purpose for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and God is the author of that plan!  Knowing there is a reason for my life gives me an impression that I possess value and also gives me a sense that I'm a part of a bigger plan that includes more than just me.  My piece fits into all the other parts and helps to create the whole.  (1 Corinthians 12)

When I put my life into the hands of the Master Artist, He creates a masterpiece.  Solomon poetically penned the thought that, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  Trusting God with my life means He's already done a beautiful thing, it's just a matter of waiting on the appointed time.  The fact that it will happen is a done deal.

As a child of God through faith in Jesus, I can count on the truth that God is transforming me into the image of His Son.  Continuing to walk in faith by obeying His personal guidance and allowing Him to keep up that transformational work means I'll develop godly desires to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 2:13-14)  This all comes through cultivating my relationship with the God who loves me.

Staying connected to my Father as Jesus did gives me a sense of purpose that guides me confidently through life as I follow His plan.

It's easy to burn out when I'm trying to live my life based on worldly wisdom, by working in my own strength and in creating my own plan for my life.  But endurance will come when I instead stay connected to my Father who dispenses His wisdom through me, gives me the strength I need when I need it and colors my entire life with a sense of purpose and design.  Then I will not only be able to avoid suffering from exhaustion and discouragement but will soar on wings like eagles.  (Isaiah 40)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stay connected to my source of wisdom, strength and purpose.

How do I try to rely on my own strength?

When do I float through my day, bouncing from one thing to another, instead of intentionally living according to His will?