Burnout

Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. “It's too much, Lord,” he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!” ~ 1 Kings 19:4
    
     The LORD instructed Elijah to request an audience with King Ahab so the prophet could correct the king and usher in the end of a three-year drought. Under Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, the people devoted themselves to worshiping and serving Baal. Baal is a powerful enemy of the LORD. Elijah condemned the king and his wife and the priests of Baal and demanded a showdown with them. 1 Kings 18-19 tell the sometimes humorous and sometimes terrifying story of the encounter. Ultimately, the LORD validated Elijah by destroying the cult of Baal and bringing rain to the parched land. Why then did Elijah end up isolated, discouraged, and ready to give up? 
     I think Elijah was burned out. Elijah enthusiastically embraced his role. His unconditional allegiance to the LORD is clear throughout his ministry years. His love for God showed in the way he cared for widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed, foreigners, and marginalized people. Elijah passionately preached truth in love and willingly rebuked authorities at the risk of suffering condemnation and retribution.
     Elijah’s long career seems to have taken a toll, especially during the season of drought. His fidelity, innovation, and perspicacity held the faithful together while a majority of their neighbors embraced the worldly cult of Baal. When the LORD brought Elijah before the king and the priests of Baal, Elijah was short-tempered, cynical, and crude with them. God vindicated him anyway. I think it only added to his burnout, because Elijah knew the victory belonged to God, which only made him feel inadequate and ineffective.       
     Listen to what Elijah told the LORD when asked, “What are you doing here?” - “Lord God Almighty, I have always served you—you alone. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. I am the only one left—and they are trying to kill me!” (1 Kings 19:10) God asked a second time, “What are you doing here?” and Elijah answered with the same words again. Elijah was worn out!
     Eventually, the LORD whittled down Elijah’s congregation so that only the faithful remained. Then, the LORD sent Elijah to his successor so that he could pass the mantle on to him. God honored Elijah and gave him a unique end to his service, but Elijah’s burnout was unrecoverable. 
     Burnout is a common problem for the LORD’s servants. It follows predictable patterns. Cynicism, feelings of inadequacy, joyless, hopeless efforts, hypersensitivity, indifference, lethargy, headaches, and irregular sleep are all signs of burnout. 
     If you’re suffering through it, especially during the drought caused by the pandemic, you are not alone. In fact, I won’t be trying to tell you what to do about it, because I don’t know right now. I just know that it is unlikely that we will be led to our successor and then into a glorious retirement in Heaven. We will need support and determination to get through burnout and it probably won’t happen overnight. Pray that people who really care will grant you grace and come alongside while you recover from a debilitating illness.