YOUTHWORKER BURNOUT?

YOUTHWORKER BURNOUT?

My first thought was "what's burnout?" My second was to think of what Jesus told the disciples when they returned from town with food (while he talked to the Samaritan woman): "I have nourishment you don't know about" (paraphrase). Doing God's work: helping people understand and believe in His Son provides me with energy to keep going. Focus: It isn't the wisdom and right living, it isn't the physical development, mental skills, and creative abilities, it isn't even having a successful career. While all those things are important they are not as important as UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWING GOD. This has got to be the focus and reason for being alive!

The games, the parties, the events, the activities, can all be set aside; which I do occasionally. I can just not do those things for a few months or so. But I never take a break doing what's important: helping youth understand and know God.

Three Rules for anti-burnout:

1. Give to the needy and help people who are less fortunate -- give them rides, stop in the rain and help them change a tire, etc. -- but do it in secret. Never mention it to anyone.

2. Pray for yourself. Spend time alone with God each day. Don't pray for anyone during that time but you and your problems. Read (not to study) God's Word during that time just to hear His voice. Pause and reflect. (no less then 7 minutes each morning). Do this in secret as well and don't tell anyone about it.

3. Skip one meal a week. During the time you would have eaten, take a walk or sit on a bench and enjoy the weather. Sit back and look around. Privately worship God. Do this also in secret -- don't tell anyone (except maybe your spouse so they know what your doing is OK).

These three things will keep your personal spiritual experience alive and will not get in the way of doing the work. Nor will the work get in the way of your own path to Understanding and Knowing God. (By the way, caring for those less fortunate is one of the best ways to understand and really get to know our God).

Eight techniques to maintain such a life style.

1. Pray often. Jesus apparently stepped away from his disciples routinely during the day to pray with his Father: Early morning, Mid Morning, Mid Day, Evening, and Late Night. Time alone with God in prayer is a secret to this kind of "unhealthy" work.

2. Mid morning brisk walk (I walk around our building ... about a 100 yard walk). Jesus seemed to do this sort of thing as well. There are many references of his walking, even while he was teaching.

3. Benj. Franklin used an interesting rest technique (that works). He would sit upright in a chair and prop his feet up so his legs were level -- using a desk drawer. He would then hold a serving spoon over an large bowl. In this position he would relax into a brief sleep. As soon as his body relaxed he would be immediately awakened by the spoon hitting the bowl. Awake and refreshed.

4. Another unusual, yet successful, rest technique is a three minute head stand. This does wonders for concentration as well as muscle relief.

5. Do a brief cardio-vascular exercise before going to sleep; such as ten sit-ups or a 60-second run-in-place.

6. Drink 6 oz. of warmed milk before going to sleep.

7. Work six days, rest one. I block out the time every Sunday afternoon 12:00 to 5:00 to be alone and at rest. For others, since a majority of ministry work is on Sunday, pick another day for your rest-from-work activity. Make yourself available for emergencies on that day, but nothing else. Find a hobby, book, or activity to break from your daily work so you can experience the enjoyment of the Lord.

8. Laugh a lot.