Initially Published on: Outreach Magazine
What do you need?
This question, when asked sincerely, is at the heart of fulfilling the gospel and bearing one another’s burdens. But it also assumes that humans not only know our need but also understand how it can be resolved. It assumes that we have clarity about the nature of our burdens and the means by which they can be healed. For those experiencing pastoral burnout, this assumption often breaks down.
While leaders are quick to acknowledge the perversity and destruction of sin, we often fail to grasp how frequently Scripture calls sin deception. Paul captures this well in Romans 7, reflecting on his own internal struggle, where sin “seized the opportunity” to deceive him.
Before we can counter our burnout, pastors and ministry leaders need to confront our own self-deception. In this respect, two forms of self-deception play a particularly significant role.
- Self-Deception Blinds Us to Our Problem.
One of the most common lies we tell ourselves is that burnout cannot and will not happen to us. It may affect others—even those close to us—but we imagine we are stronger, wiser or holier. As a result, pastors often find themselves deeply affected by burnout long before they recognize its causes.
Convinced we are simply a good night’s sleep or a quick vacation away from recovery, we apply superficial solutions to deeply rooted problems. And when our understanding of what is happening is deficient, our solutions are unsurprisingly inadequate—like applying a bandage to a broken leg. It cannot bear the weight required for true healing.
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- Self-Deception Distorts Expected Solutions.
Even when we admit we are approaching burnout, our theology and practice of rest are often shaped more by modern society than by faith. Without self-awareness, our pursuit of relief becomes fuel for the fire. We request resources or retreats that we sincerely believe will restore us, only to find them insufficient.
When our understanding of rest is broken, we should not be surprised that we never catch our breath. Vacations and breaks are helpful, but when treated as our primary solution, they become broken cisterns: costly, time-consuming and ultimately unable to provide real relief.
If Dallas Willard was right 20 years ago in claiming that modern society makes self-reflection exceedingly difficult, the years since have made it nearly impossible. More consumption. More entertainment. More noise.
Fundamentally, we mistake distraction for restoration.
Inevitably, as the noise quiets and we return to reality, there has been no healing. We resume our lives with the same burdens, eagerly awaiting the next momentary escape.
A Balm for Our Burnout
Though self-deception is a daunting barrier, it also presents an opportunity to cultivate healthier rhythms of reflection. By disentangling our illusions, we begin dismantling habits that appear caring but actually entrap us.
Consider God’s tenderness to Elijah in 1 Kings 19. After the triumph on Mount Carmel, Elijah is exhausted, isolated, angry. While he repeats lies about his ministry, God patiently asks again and again, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
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What are we doing here?
In this question, God is tenderly inviting us to consider what he has called us to be, where he has led us, and why he has entrusted us. It is an invitation to rest in Christ rather than escape into noise.
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