Burnout in the church is real, and it is rarely discussed from the front. This is written for the person who has set up the chairs for eleven years, who is still running the children's group, who says yes because nobody else will, and who is quietly exhausted.

Tiredness is not failure

Being tired does not mean your heart has gone cold. Elijah had just seen fire fall from heaven when he sat down under a juniper tree and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). Spiritual highs and deep exhaustion are not opposites. They are often neighbours.

Notice what God did not do. He did not rebuke Elijah, and He did not give him a sermon. He let him sleep, and He fed him. Twice. The care came before the conversation.

What to do first

If you recognise yourself in this, start here:

1. Rest properlyNot collapsing in front of a screen. Actual rest, of the kind God commanded before anyone was tired enough to need convincing.
2. Tell someone the truthSay out loud to one trusted person that you are running on empty. Most serving people carry this alone for far too long.
3. Check what you are running onServing from love holds up for decades. Serving from guilt or from fear of letting people down burns out fast, and it always burns out.
4. Put down what was never yoursSome of what you carry was picked up in an emergency years ago and never handed back. It is allowed to be handed back.
5. Ask for help before you breakAsking early is wisdom. Waiting until you cannot continue costs you and the people you serve far more.

A promise for the weary

"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). Paul assumes weariness is coming. The instruction is not to pretend you are fine. It is not to give up.

And Jesus makes the invitation plainly: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). That offer is not for other people. It is for the ones still holding everything together.

If this describes you, please speak to one of the pastoral team. You have carried it long enough on your own.

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