One Cause of Collapse
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you...”–2 Cor. 12:15
That is a remarkable statement by a remarkable man. Paul was fully committed to the work of the Lord and willing to endure any hardship for Christ’s sake. He even rejoiced in such suffering- something seldom seen today. Of such an attitude Elisabeth Elliot, a woman who knew something about suffering, wrote:
One excuse that is a catch-all for any failure to do our jobs is “burn-out.” It’s an occupational hazard in just about every occupation modern man has ever heard of. Strangely enough, we never heard about burn-out until the past couple of decades, but now everybody suffers from it. Exhaustion–physical, mental, emotional–is endemic. Why?
One reason is lack of humility. In our anxiety to compete, to prove ourselves, to be a success as the world defines it, we are wearied and overburdened. If we sought instead only the greatness of the kingdom, we would become childlike. The truly important things are hidden from the clever and intelligent and are shown to those who are willing to come and be shown, to put on the yoke Christ bears, which is the will of the Father.
We need to learn to walk side by side with Him, bearing humbly and gently the yoke He places on us, not the unbearable burdens of competition and recognition and something called fulfillment. If we do this, any burden He allows–of loss or pain or insult or responsibility or heartbreak–will be both bearable and light, for the weight is shared with Him. No yoke laid on us in this way will cause us to burn out or collapse. This yoke itself will in fact be the very means of our finding rest. There is no form of recreation or relaxation or therapy to compare with the rest, the gentle ease, of Christ’s yoke. “Come,” He says to us, “and learn of Me.”
We say we believe that God makes no mistakes and that He does all things well. Why then do we complain when He does or allows something that we don’t like? Was it He or we who made a mistake? I think you know the answer. -HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
