We all get burned out at some point or another. Perhaps difficult circumstances have led to discouragement. Or maybe you keep going but feel as if you’re just going through the motions—there’s no joy, no fruit. Paul told Timothy to “kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6). So how do we do that?
Refill: Get on your knees before the Lord and ask Him to fill you again. Examine your life, repent of any sins, and submit to Him.
Refocus: Nothing dims the flame like fixing your eyes on the problem. Whenever we focus on obstacles, they grow larger. But when we shift our eyes to Christ, He becomes bigger than any difficulty we face.
Reject: When we’re down, the Devil whispers his lies into our mind: You can’t do this. No one appreciates you. Why not call it quits? We need to recognize all discouraging thoughts as coming from him—and reject them.
Retreat: Get away with the Lord—free from distractions—to rekindle your relationship with Him.
After going through all these steps, you will have renewed enthusiasm and commitment. Hard circumstances may remain, but you’ll be equipped to handle them because you won’t be handling them alone.
Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 4-7
