Overcoming Spiritual Fatigue

By Marianne Howard

The demand of daily leadership is draining. As we juggle the tasks of managing programs, budgets, schedules, teaching, and navigating ever-present opinions, we quickly lose sight of our priorities spiritually, personally, and professionally. Forgetting we are stewards and servants in God’s ministry, we begin to rely more on our own skills and abilities than on the wisdom and power of God.

Though we long to lead well, we have allowed the subtle yet rigorous work of shepherding to rob us of hope and lead our hearts into distracted and weary places. Many times, with great intentions, we neglect the soul and its connection to God. There is a pressing need for restorative rest and soul care in the lives of leaders. We see leaders abandon the ministry in record numbers due to disillusionment, weariness, overbearing scrutiny, and personal scandals.

Spiritual fatigue and burnout are a real threat to you, your family, your ministry, and your church. If the devil can exhaust you, he will. If he can destroy your health, he will. If he can make you hate your job, he will. If we want to find a way to defeat the enemy’s schemes, we must identify unhealthy behaviors and eliminate them from our daily routines. Some things need to change if we want to last in ministry.

In our most difficult moments of ministry fatigue, we need to know the heart of Jesus. He understands every trouble, temptation, frustration, and drama you face. Jesus sees you. He understands the whisper of temptation that wants to hurry ahead instead of waiting for the Father’s timing. He understands the exhaustion of pouring Himself out for others. He knows the frustration of people committed to misunderstanding Him. He is familiar with what it means to feel the loneliness of abandonment and the heartbreak of betrayal.

The symptoms of spiritual fatigue do not indicate the need for a vacation, but that we desperately need rest—soul rest, restorative rest. Rest is about renewal, where God meets the deepest needs of our souls. Jesus never called us to a life of endless exhaustion. He understood that to last, we must regularly re-orient our lives around the One who calls us.

We don’t wander into restful rhythms; we must work diligently at rest. If we prioritize intentional rest, it will show. It will be obvious to us, our family members, those we lead, and most importantly, God. We can talk about rest, but none of it matters until we take time to physically stop our work and rest in God. We must develop habits of rest. If you’re new to the idea, here are five helpful suggestions:

• Slow Down. We live in a chaotic state of rush, race, and strife. We must slow down to recognize our deepest need is for God Himself. According to Scripture, the answer to spiritual burnout is intimacy with God and the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 44:3). Make slowing down a part of your life; focus not so much on yourself but God, His leading, and His presence. Your pace matters because the pace of your life reveals who leads and shepherds your soul.
  

• Be Attentive. Guard your devotion. Spiritual attention is the perfect weapon to use against distraction. Attention is the skill of withdrawing from everything to focus on essential things. Remember, the goal of distraction is attentional negligence, dragging the heart’s attention away from Christ. Give Christ your fully devoted attention, not just scattered glances. “Behold your God” (Isaiah 40:9). Focus on Him as though your life depends on it. Do the disciplined work to avoid the chirps and dings this world offers.
  

• Examine Your Habits. If we want to grow in our love for Jesus, we must do something to us. Identify and eliminate—or at least reduce—the things distracting you. Develop distraction-reducing habits. Make time to feast at the table with Jesus rather than settling for table scraps. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” “Seek first the kingdom,” and “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” All means all; don’t let any parts of you be divided or distracted.
  

• Practice Listening. Do we have the discipline to mute the volume on the numerous voices constantly clamoring for our attention, even as we turn up the volume on God’s voice from Scripture? To move from weariness to rest, God’s Word must occupy a more significant portion of our information diet. Many demands draw our attention; however, we can become people who choose to be still, sit at the Lord’s feet, listen to His voice, be profoundly aware of His presence, and live as close to Him as humanly possible. This is where true rest is found.
  

• Be Intentional. Closing the gap between knowing and doing in our lives means we must develop new routines and tastes that shape our love for Him. Learning to treasure Jesus in a distracted world takes intentional practice. It’s discipline that pulls the distracted pieces of us back together. Discipline helps us live within our limits. Discipline helps busy people slow down enough to let their souls sink into Jesus. That’s where the real spiritual work is done: the secret place where “deep calls to deep.”
  

The God of the universe deserves more than a few moments of focus. He deserves our undivided attention and humble willingness to behold Him for who He is. You are never too dry or too empty for God to replenish you completely. He will satisfy the weary soul (Jeremiah 31:25). God’s wells run deep and wide. His resources are unlimited. His grace is sufficient. May your intimacy with Jesus exceed all the ministry madness, busyness, and noise. Your ministry is not your life. Jesus is your life.

About the Author: Marianne Howard’s experience as a minister’s wife allows her to see the toll spiritual fatigue takes on gifted ministry leaders. She is a co-host of the D6 Podcast, regularly contributes to the D6 Family blog, and is a passionate teacher of God’s Word.