This mission that we are on is NOT is easy, in fact it is arduous, laborious and often exhausting. We might feel compelled to do things our way and become tempted to rely solely on our strength – and this is where burnout takes place.
There are often soldiers and officers who have dead eyes. What do I mean by “dead eyes” – the spark has gone out. The fire that once burned so brightly is just a glowing ember. The fight has has been squelched. Have you been there? If so how do you come back from that place? How do you recapture that fire, that spark?
Here are 3 suggestions.
3 Primer observations to help us prevent burnout.
3 Ways To Prevent Burnout
1. Go to the well often!
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint…” (Jeremiah 31:25)
The well of the Lord is deep.
He provided aid and renewal to Elijah in his time of need, he provided comfort and assurances to David when he was on the run, and He will provide us this water when we too are distressed and in need of it.
This well of the Lord can be found in the spiritual discipline of prayer & meditation…but it can also be found in the nature around us. Have you ever just walked out in the woods and felt the peace and tranquility of that place? It sort of took away that crazy, busy, go-go-go lifestyle that you’re used to in your every day life? These walks can become that well to us because we are connecting with nature-created by God himself. But this well can be different for all of us. He can come and refill us in the most unlikely of places.
If you’re burned out right now, or finding yourself close to the end of your rope, don’t quit or surrender, instead seek out His well of refreshing. He wants us to drink deeply from it often so that we will never thirst or grow weary of this mission that we have been placed on to save souls and go for the worst!
2. Understand you aren’t a solitary soldier
“He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left...” (1 Kings 19:10)
Elijah felt all alone after experiencing a phenomenal defeat of King Ahab, Jezabel and the prophets of Baal, and despite this victory, Elijah feared for his life and felt as if he was all alone. Have you ever felt this way? It’s very common for Officers and Soldiers to feel this way even after experiencing successes at your corps and appointments. Perhaps Satan would love to convince us that we are all alone. The father of lies would love nothing more than to distort the truth and make us believe we have to stand alone…but it’s simply not true.
When we experience burnout, it often comes from a place of utter aloneness…you know what I mean. We feel abandoned, alone and afraid. We might fall into a deep depression like Elijah did and come to the conclusion that we too are the only ones left. It’s not true. Perhaps in this moment of realization it would be time to seek out other believers, those who can surround you with encouragement, love and support. Find another church and/or pastor, seek out another corps member, soldier, friend, call up a mentor or divisional officer that you trust – You. Are. Not. Alone. We were never meant to be solitary soldiers!
3. Our Power doesn’t come from us – but the Holy Spirit. 
“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
I have a confession to make, all to often I rely on my own power, wisdom and strength rather than fully relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. Does this ring true for you as well? I want control. I need to press forward, and so I do, only to find that I have moved ahead of God and out of step with Him. Have you experienced this too? I believe this is where burnout can happen too. We exert so much of ourselves, we pour so much of ourselves, we invest our everything – but it is done with our own pride and strength and we find that once our strength is all gone, we have no idea what to do next besides feeling weak, alone, and powerless.
Dear Soldier, our strength and power has never been enough for the tasks that we have been given. The great burden of ministry was never ours to carry alone, we are only asked to be faithful while the Holy Spirit will lead and provide. I cannot count how many times the Lord has had to remind me of this. I charge in with all of my might and power only to discover I have run ahead of Him…and I run out of strength and power. Does this happen to you too? Are you there right now? You have exerted all of your power, and now you are burnt out? Perhaps it’s time to go back to the well. Perhaps it’s time to realize you aren’t a solitary soldier, perhaps it’s time to ask for the Holy Spirit’s strength and power once again to fill you.
If you are burned out right now – there is hope!
If you feel as if you might be headed that way – it’s time to take personal inventory of your actions, motivation and life. This Army has never been about us shining and looking good in our uniforms, but instead it has always been about fully submitting to God and allowing Him to lead us in His strength and power. Faith doesn’t require us to conquer the world, it simply requires us to conquer our fears through the power of the Holy Spirit, from there, full submission to God can and will lead us onward.
Something more for our Army to ponder today.
To God be the glory!
Could our corps halls feel like an exclusive club to outsiders? -This should never be the case! We might become tempted, at times, to puff ourselves up with all of our corps’ accomplishments and fortunes, instead run from such thoughts and temptations! Do not become like the Pharisee in the parable Jesus told – who was so enamored by his own pride and arrogance that those earnestly seeking were criticized and despised.
We always talk about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and that of His wondrous resurrection, but perhaps the most amazing feat in this whole story of love and redemption is what took place beyond the veil. Beyond our human, mortal vision. How Jesus vanquish death, conquered sin, and, though the final battle hasn’t happened yet, ultimately beat the fallen angels – they never stood a chance as Creator took back what was rightfully His to give and take away.
“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 
Dear Soldier, be keenly aware of the pending dangers of authority and power. If you are or ever become entrusted with any kind of power – use it wisely and with every amount of Holiness that you can muster! What you say, how you lead, what you do – makes the world a difference! Although we have a militant structure, keep in mind who is the head of our army – it certainly isn’t me or you, or even the General – It is the King of kings and Lord of lords!! Be good leaders! Be kind leaders. Be wise leaders. Set a godly standard by exercising grace, love and hope.
I have met some deeply cynical people in my day. Many were housed within the corps…these individuals could never be pleased no matter how hard one might try. No matter what took place, these individuals always saw the negative and very rarely the positive. After time, no one wanted anything to do with them, because bitterness tends to bleed into the very fabric of our corps buildings if we let it. 
There’s something harsh these days about cold calling and neighborhood canvasing.
True evangelism and even discipleship takes place when we care more about the person than we do a “pew-filling”. Relationship building costs more in us, perhaps that’s why people are less inclined to invest in relationships than they are in the door knocking type of evangelism. When we intentionally seek out people, befriending them, caring about them, showing up for them – we will see a deeper type of compassion and love in us. We will want to fully commit to sharing Christ. We will take the time to be the very reflection of Christ. Relationship building, to me, carries the most authenticity when it comes to evangelizing to people around us.
Don’t be someone you’re not. Don’t be fake. Don’t put on a show – Jesus isn’t a show, or a facade, and I wonder sometimes how God-honoring some of these evangelistic methods truly are. Does God need us to sell Him to the masses? Is that what we do? Is that in the job description? I mean, sure, we need to be intentional, we need to care about others, but do we have to go door to door? Do we have to pass out tracts at a sporting event? – No. I think that REAL evangelism looks nothing like that – I think it can present itself as hateful instead…and people are so turned off by it, that no one pays attention to it.
2) How do biblical texts apply to modern society today?
4) How does free will affect my faith?
Marching On…
if you join these ranks as soldiers for any other purpose than to be servants of God and servants of man, then we have joined for all the wrong reasons. The uniform, and all it represents, is a symbolic representation of a sacrificial life. We are taking a stand against sin and death in this world. We are standing with the marginalized. We are pushing to end human slavery in our world. We are striving to end the blight of human trafficking. We are fighting for the homeless, the destitute the helpless, the hurting, the lost. When we put on our uniforms and say we are soldiers, we are saying that our identities are no longer individual, but we are united with Christ to bring His love into some very loveless places of our world. When we say we are soldiers, it means we are saved to serve, and we are saved to save.
It’s more than just a uniform.
Pastor's Ponderings 