Over the past few years, I've taken up running. I'm slow, stiff, and get winded easily, but I'm stubborn enough to keep at it.
During my first half marathon, I was, as the kids say, "cookin'." Great pace, feeling strong, on track to PR. What I didn't know was that two evil little monsters, dehydration and carb depletion, were destroying me from the inside out.
Around mile 8, it hit me. My pace slowed, my muscles tightened, and everything felt really hard. I chugged a Gatorade and took a gel to reset my system, but it was far too late. I had gone from "cookin'" to "cooked."
In running, by the time you realize you're underfueled, it's too late to fix it. Burnout works the same way. Once you feel it, you're already deep in it. But the good news is we work for One who is constantly renewing, redeeming, and giving rest to the weary.
I think there are three things we need to be doing as worship leaders to avoid burnout and actually thrive in our ministries. Are there more than three? Sure. But these are an excellent start.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
In my second half marathon, I had no target pace and no finish time. I was just wandering. In my third, I had my eyes fixed on a goal, and I ran way better.
Hebrews 12 uses this same picture. It calls us to strip off the weight and sin that trip us up and run with endurance by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.
In worship ministry, it's easy to be surrounded by good and godly things and still lose sight of Him. You're in God's Word to plan the setlist. You sit through the staff devotional. You sing Christ-centered lyrics every rehearsal. These are all good things, but none of them replace time with the Lord for your own soul. A few ways to fix your eyes on Him:
Time in the Word: Spend time alone in Scripture only for the sake of growing spiritually, not to find your next song or exhortation.
Silence: Spend time in quiet, the opposite of being on a stage.
Worship somewhere else: Visit another church where you just get to worship.
Confession: Have someone you regularly confess sin to, so you can strip off the weight that slows you down.
Know Your Limits
What I didn't mention about that first half marathon is that a big reason I hit the wall was that I was running a pace I couldn't sustain. I was racing beyond my limits.
We often burn out because we live on the edge. We sleep too little, work too much, and take on more than we can handle. I get it. Your heart is to say yes. You want to serve the Lord, prove to your pastor you can "handle it," and pour your life out for Christ. That's a beautiful thing. But we're limited creatures, each with unique limits God Himself has placed on us.
I often see those limits show up in two areas: bandwidth and skill.
Bandwidth is your personal time and overall energy to carry the tasks and responsibilities in front of you. When you're constantly running on empty, something is going to give.
Skill is working within the skill set and gifting God has given you. When you spend most of your week doing things you aren't wired for, everything takes longer and drains you faster.
Pull Others In
For my first half marathon, I trained completely by myself and almost didn't make it to the starting line. For my third, I ran with a friend, and it made all the difference.
As leaders, we're often the worst at pulling others in, but Scripture is clear that this is a key part of our calling.
Ephesians 4:12 tells us that the role of the leader is to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
Our roles are designed to develop others. Scripture also describes the church as the body of Christ, and you, friend, are only one part of that body. Your ministry won't reflect the whole body unless you pull others in to help lead it.
One of the best places to start is raising up a music director, someone who can carry part of the musical load so you aren't carrying it alone. I put together a free MD guide to help you do just that:
Closing
In that third half marathon, I set a PR and was healthy enough to enjoy brunch afterward. What changed? I had a plan. I had a plan to fuel during the race, run a steady pace, and keep my eyes on the finish line.
Ministry is no different. A friend and mentor once told me, "Healthy soil, healthy fruit. Toxic soil, toxic fruit." If you want a ministry that's healthy and Christ-honoring, keep your eyes on Jesus, run at a pace you can sustain, and don't run alone.
Questions for Reflection
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Are you regularly confessing sin to someone and stripping off the weight that slows you down?
When you spend time in God's Word and in prayer, are you coming as a disciple and child of God, or are you always hunting for the next great song or exhortation?
Know Your Limits
Could you sustain your current pace for the next six months? Six years? (Spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially)
Are you regularly doing something you're not actually great at, and is it costing you time and energy?
Pull Others In
Who is one person on your team you can pull in, train, and develop?
