Lifestyle Columnist, Amanda Alexander
But why do many of us think that we can work seven days a week for as little as 4 hours or in some cases two hours rest. God cautioned Moses about this very same thing because he was on the road to burnout.
In Exodus chapter 18 of the Bible there’s a situation where Moses was a Judge and all day he would judge every single case that came his way. However he was facing burnout and his father-in-law had to tell him that what he was doing was not good, Moses was instructed to streamline his job and eventually he selected other leaders to judge cases for him. Many times busyness can look impressive but your body will not be thankful for your mistreatment of it.
Recently I had to let go of some major projects that were good but they were burning me out. My sleep pattern was disrupted, I was dropping balls and I was feeling out of sorts. When we find ourselves in such predicaments we must ask why on earth have we taken on so much responsibility? In my case I realised took on more than I could chew in the quiet season of my life when I didn’t have much going on and didn’t anticipate nor have the foresight that the work I was then doing, would grow with such magnitude and therefore I had to swing back, apologise to people and let things go.
I had to eat a lot of humble pie, and do a lot of explaining. Thankfully the monetary investment was practically nil so I didn’t need to return funds to clients. I sat myself down and had a good chat and asked God to show me the things that he wanted me to be involved in, what were His choices for me? How should I strategize my time, what meetings and networking groups should I belong to, and if they were in alignment with His plans for my life?
Once I finished this self conversation I then took a weekend off where I solely focused on myself, I decluttered my home and did some sensible retail therapy.
Needless to say I felt so refreshed and ready to move forward within the God-given set parameters. I’m very conscious now to ensure that I don’t fill up my life in the quiet seasons as in spring things start to bloom, in summer they are fully manifested ready for harvest in the autumn, and in order to harvest we need to be strong and not burnt out. If you’re feeling burnt out right now, do a self-check evaluation, invite God to help you sort matters out, you are designed to live a healthy and wholesome life, not a jacked up and burnt out one.
Until next time, remember you are beautiful and wonderfully made – With love Amanda x
Amanda Alexander is a Pastor, Teacher, TV Media Journalist, Founder of Female Dignity & Amanda Alexander Productions
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¹ Exodus 3 NIV – Moses and the Burning Bush – Now Moses – Bible Gateway
² 2 Samuel 11 NIV – David and Bathsheba – In the spring, at – Bible Gateway
