How are you feeling? You know, it's certainly been great to be here. A real shot in the arm for so many of us, but sadly, we've only a couple of days remaining before we head back home, back to our jobs or daily routines, either in the workplace or school or in the home, but regardless, into a less enjoyable reality where our workday responsibilities and the brutal world that Richard spoke of on opening night await to resume their relentless efforts to wear us down. And if you and your loved ones have experienced life in a similar fashion to me and my family, then you've likely encountered so many challenges this past year in the home, at work, and even in the church that are impacting you mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually.
The pace of this life, particularly in the past year or so, has accelerated like a runaway train that threatens to go off the rails at any moment as the demands and challenges and trials amidst all the gloomy news of the world continue to pile up in an apparent effort to overwhelm us. Still, the end is not yet. And though Christ counsels us not to be troubled, there is just so much happening every day. If we try to keep up with the news, we are saddened, maddened, and depressed.
But on the other hand, it's so easy to slip into an anxious mindset should we choose to ignore the news for a few days or even a few hours where we fear missing out on learning about some historic, groundbreaking, earth shattering event foretelling the end of the world as we know it. And while we all recognize the need to avoid falling down the rabbit hole of doom scrolling where we continuously consume and share large amounts of negative or distressing content, and we realize the need to distance ourselves as best we can from all the worldly goings on in our given communities, we also comprehend that we must still live and work in this world just as Christ prayed on the night before His crucifixion in John 17.
John 17 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.
And in the same passage, He adds that the world has hated them. And in the prior chapter of John 16, Christ declares that in the world, you will have tribulation. And of course, Christ was not just speaking to the disciples in front of Him, He was also speaking to us. So here we are in the world, perhaps feeling a little ambushed and overwhelmed, but with God's help, we can be kept from the evil one.
But it says nothing about being kept from trouble. And let's face it, living and working in this world grows more and more troubling and demanding, and some of us, maybe all of us, are growing tired. In virtually every aspect of our lives, there is just so much pulling and pushing on us. We live and work in an age where technology allows us to do more with artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Many boundaries are being lifted, boundaries that once prevented us from certain accomplishments and the new hyper levels of productivity and efficiency. But this never-ending push to do more, to discover more and to have more, is draining our energies, depleting our batteries. So most of us work either holding down a paying job, attending school, or raising and home schooling children and managing a home or volunteering or caring for a loved one, and in the case of some of us, some or all of the above, or there are those who are because of age or infirmity.
We are unable to work, struggling, perhaps even more than the rest of us every day to make ends meet in this age of more while being forced to do so with less. So, we are all finding it harder to keep up, to maintain our energy, our mental and physical health, our focus, our balance, our motivation to keep crawling out of bed each morning to continue this walk. We have to deal with our families, neighbors, the government, our employers, and co-workers with ever increasing demands upon us. And we have to love them all.
Along with the purple-haired checkout kid at the grocery store, the rude barista at the coffee shop, the abusive doctor at the clinic, the apathetic customer service rep, the parade of high-priced plumbers, mechanics, and repairmen, the IRS, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid agents, or the Nazi clerk down at the DMV. And the newscasters, politicians, and pundits raging at us over our digital screens and devices. You know, on any given day, a simple check of the headlines howls at us about political assassination, government shutdowns, the end of democracy, mass shootings, the latest strain of COVID, and here comes World War 3.
We drive to work while sharing the road with distracted soccer moms, delivery vans, and teenagers, all more concerned with sending or receiving another text than they are with that silly yellow line in the middle of the road. We drive in traffic that never gets lighter, pay bills that never shrink with paychecks or entitlements that always do. Perform our jobs that never get easier, deal with pains, fears, and anxieties that only grow in number and intensity, all the while praying, pleading for more time, more sleep, more money, more space, and at least some semblance of quiet, of calm, of peace that never seems to arrive.
All this sounds like a surefire recipe for the latest and greatest syndrome to come our way in this modern age, we call it burnout. And whether or not you've read or heard about this distressing, distressing new syndrome, chances are you or someone you love is dealing with it right now. To define according to the American Heritage Dictionary, the classical definition of burnout is a failure in a device attributable to burning, excessive heat, or friction. And while that definition certainly applies to our topic today, from a more psychological perspective, I've mashed up various alternative definitions from multiple sources and added a little of my own.
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion caused by excessive stress from situations from which it is difficult or practically impossible to escape characterized by energy depletion, difficulties with concentration and focus, feelings of guilt, frustration, cynicism, and a diminishing desire to keep going, to keep doing what you know you should be doing. Now I found innumerable articles, surveys, and studies, mostly aimed at human resource managers and psychologists, many of which were claimed that up to 2/3 of all workers around the globe were victims of the burnout syndrome. And upon further research, I discovered beyond the job of the workplace, I discovered surveys, studies, and articles regarding parental burnout, academic burnout, and sadly, even spiritual burnout. And believe it or not, I read several articles about rapture burnout.
Apparently, that's a thing. It seems that in any endeavor that has us chasing greater accomplishment or productivity or pursuing higher ideals can lead us to become vulnerable to this burnout syndrome. And now the most common manifestation of the burnout syndrome in the world is found naturally on the job. From job advisor.link, I'll quote from an unattributed article entitled Job Burnout at 66% in 2025, new study reveals alarming rise in workplace exhaustion.
And it references a 2025 workplace study, warning of the prevalence and dangers of the burnout syndrome. A new study released this week has shed light on a growing crisis in the modern workplace, job burnout. According to the research, an alarming 66% of workers reported experiencing symptoms of burnout in 2025, marking a significant increase from previous years. The findings underscore the urgent need for employers and employees alike to address the mental health challenges posed by today's fast-paced, often overwhelming work environments.
The study conducted by the Global Workplace Wellness Institute surveyed over 10,000 full-time employees across various industries worldwide. It found that nearly 2/3 of the respondents were struggling with chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and feelings of cynicism or detachment, hallmarks of job burnout as defined by the World Health Organization, unquote. Now, another article, How to Recognize and cope with Burnout at Home, published on Porch.com. The following seven symptoms were listed.
1, feeling or frequently feeling tired, drained, or fatigued regardless of the time of day. Two, common in frequent headaches, muscle pain, or changes in sleep and eating habits. 3, lack of motivation in feeling trapped, helpless, or defeated. 4, an increasingly negative outlook and loss of motivation.
5, feeling detached from friends, family, and the world as a whole. 6, lack of enjoyment and a decreased sense of satisfaction or accomplishment. And 7, avoiding responsibilities or extracurricular activities, isolating from others. And finally, one study concluded, burnout is not just a personal issue, it has far-reaching consequences for both individuals and organizations.
For employees, prolonged exposure to burnout can lead to physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease, weakened immune systems, and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. On an organizational level, unchecked burnout results in decreased productivity, higher turnover rates, and a toxic work culture, unquote. Now, over the past few years, especially since the COVID madness of the early twenties, I've spoken to so many of you who have revealed similar symptoms in your life stemming from issues at work, at home, or at church.
I believe it is logical to conclude that the burnout syndrome has inserted its debilitating tentacles into the Church of God. Now is this just a symptom of all mankind growing soft, unable to muster consistently the effort needed for success? Are we beginning to succumb to the predicted and pronounced pressures of these end times? The beginnings of sorrows, our light affliction, the wearing down of the saints.
Yeah, let's see what some scripture might begin to reveal. Turn with me please to Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, we've been here a couple of times, I think this week already.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And then turn quickly over to another very familiar scripture, Philippians 2:12 and 13, or you can flip over there if you want to.
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
And then I'll just read quickly from Colossians 1:29.
Colossians 1:29 To this end, I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
So brethren, I think you can see where I'm trying to go here. While all of us have obligations to an employer, a spouse, a teacher, our parents, children, neighbors, community, and government, all capable of creating great stress which can lead to symptoms of burnout, the obligation we have to our Father in heaven and to His Son, our Savior, is far greater and is a potential cause for great stress if we lose our balance. In fact, I believe our sanctification journey should be considered the most difficult of all our jobs, all our obligations. Is it possible that we might be subject, therefore to spiritual spiritual burnout in the midst of it all?
Think about it. We take our beliefs and God's commands to develop righteous character everywhere, including on our other jobs. We are always on the clock with God. And we are seeking to be perfect.
And while we can take a vacation or a short break from virtually all our other obligations, we can't take a break from God. But just like any job, we expect and strive to receive a reward for our successes, while fearing and striving to avoid the stigma we expect to be attached to our failures. So with those two points in mind a good employer is going to make sure an employee understands what is expected in order to succeed, and the rewards that will follow obedience and success. Rewards like more money, a promotion, a nicer office or working conditions, and public recognition for a job well done.
And that same employer must also make sure the employee understands what constitutes failure and the penalties or reckoning that will follow. Likewise, a responsible employee will communicate his or her expectations, what they expect from their employer. And it's interesting that in virtually all the studies and surveys on burnout, the number one issue leading to burnout was unrealistic or unmatched expectations between employee and employer. Now making sure management and worker, teacher and student, and even husband and wife in the home are striving to match their respective expectations is obviously good policy and should be expected in any healthy workplace, classroom, or home.
But as much of a job, our sanctification journey is, God is not our employer who awaits a negotiation over pay, working conditions or time off. Still do we sometimes approach God in our sanctification journey in that manner? Do we suffer from unrealistic or unmatched expectations with Him? It's something to think about.
Do we believe He owes us a raise, a bigger house, or an easier life as we see others enjoy? Or perhaps do we run to Him complaining about the improper behavior of others on the job? Or like our friend Job, do we believe we can demand a hearing from God just to make sure He understands all our grievances? If so, then we are heading rapidly towards the path of great friction and even greater heat.
And we are setting ourselves up for a severe case of spiritual burnout. And then distance from God. You see, our sanctification journey is the highest pursuit and the hardest profession there is. After all, we are pursuing a perfection that is ultimately impossible as long as we are in these mortal bodies, and there is a proven correlation between perfectionism and burnout in any higher pursuit.
And while God doesn't expect perfection from us, we know that He does expect us to try. And that ain't easy. With the enormous stigma we attach to failure of falling short and failing at times to overcome, we add more pressure, we add more stress to our lives or the lives of others around us, risking burnout and greater failure when we foolishly compare ourselves among ourselves whether over our successes or over our failures. But unlike the world, our antidote to burnout, to spiritual burnout is not a vacation, a long weekend, a session with the therapist, a glass of bourbon, or even a raise, but work, work under the direction of Jesus Christ, where we learn how remarkable and critical the work He has accomplished really is over anything we could possibly perform today, but perform we must.
And I am convinced that one of the most important reasons we are here for this feast every year is so that we can be renewed, that we may look forward to working with Christ and each other for all eternity. Not working to live as we do in this troubled world, but living to work and rejoicing in the midst of it all. These 8 days picture, not a vacation, nor a people burned out from a troubling world but a people chosen and prepared to do the work awaiting us all in the millennium and beyond.
Now in closing, let me read the following words from our hard-working forerunner, Jesus Christ. I'll read from John 5:17, and then John 4:34.
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them. My Father has been working until now. And I have been working.
John 4:34 And my food is to do the will of Him who sent me. And to finish His work.
So brethren let's get to it.
JBB/aws+/