Tuesday, January 12, 2016

As I mentioned in our last visit in studying Mark 6:30-56 I developed the following outline, based on the information I found in this portion of the Bible. Title: Antidote to Burnout. The four main points were: recognize your need, take steps to meet your need, be prepared for obstacles, and just faith it. The next step in doing the “4S” study is to amplify each of the points in the outline. Take the first point for example - recognize your need - or watch the gauge on your internal energy tank! If you check the context you will note that the disciples had just finished a very busy tour of duty, and now they were involved in such a busy schedule of ministry that they didn’t even have time to stop for lunch. Their mission had been so exciting that they were now operating on what I would call a success syndrome: you get so excited with success that you’re afraid, if you take time to stop, you might lose momentum and thus further success. This begins to tax your adrenaline flow to the limits, and that’s dangerous. Entertainers and athletes often turn to drugs to keep going when their internal energy tank is empty. That’s even more dangerous. This is why Jesus took steps to get the disciples out of the flow of activity, into a solitary place, where they could get some rest, and refill their energy tank. Are you at a place where you need to stop and recognize your need for getting a refill of physical and spiritual energy? Then do it before it’s too late. Remember this impact thought: turn to Jesus, get alone with Jesus in a quiet place and get some rest.