Burn Out: Tying it together

Burn out: Tying it all together
A very dear friend listened to my frustration with my work, family, and church schedule with compassion and patience and then gave me this scripture as an antidote:

Rev 2:1-4 (NIV)
2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

Revelation 2:2-4 (Amplified Bible)
2I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars. 3I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary. 4But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].


Seriously?? How could she say that?? I mean, I pray, I sing songs of praise and worship, I forgive and serve others. I do my Christian duty. I am looking for “real” solutions to de-cluttering my schedule and juggling all these flaming balls in the air.
Well the following passages have occurred to me recently:

Psalm 55:22 (KJV)
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Gal 5:22-24
Life by the Spirit
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit

NONE of the activities I have been involved in lately are being lead by the Spirit. How do I know that I am not fully tuned in to that channel and have been consumed with what “needs” to get done? I have no peace or rest on the inside. I constantly feel as though I am struggling with one thing or another. As soon as one issue is resolved up comes another one, then maybe 2 or 3 more. It is hard to admit that with the wealth of knowledge I have about God and what he has already done in my life, that I have no peace. This means that I am not surrendering myself to the Spirit. So, am I really living?? I have no illusions that problems will go away once I surrender, but they definitely are to become easier to deal with because I am not alone!

As many know, I am becoming more and more serious about what goes into my mouth as far as food goes. I have much higher energy levels and do not crave chocolate and sweets constantly. I know I need to do the same spiritually. I want to experience the Zoe life that I was designed to have. I want to keep in step with the Spirit. Luckily, the ins and out of spiritual health are MUCH less complicated.

Prescription: God’s Presence