The Art Of Withdrawing: How To Care For Your Own Soul

Have you ever had one of those weeks, months, or seasons where it seemed like your life was very, very busy?  You had so many things going on. Work, social events, family obligations, and church responsibilities were taking up a lot of time. I’m sure that most of us, if not all of us, can relate to that feeling. You spend as much time as possible preparing your sermon and the service order for your students. You make sure that all of the volunteers are being cared for. You spend time in traffic as you rush to the church to set up for the next thing. 

By the end of the night, you go home with all the leftover food from the event and try to get a little bit of sleep before having to reset and prepare for your other duties and responsibilities the next day. Plus, having to care for your own family and possibly work a 2nd job, like many church leaders have to. Before you know it, you can easily find that the condition of your soul is at a low point.

Recently, I found myself in one of those situations, and it seemed like there wasn’t an end in sight. Each day, weekends included, there was some sort of event or family plan that was happening. That’s when the reality of burnout started to happen in my life. My attitude towards others became poor, and I felt tired most of the time. The subtle but very strong feelings of being overwhelmed set in. The pace and frequency of life were finally starting to catch up to me. 

Burnout led to exhaustion.

Exhaustion led to apathy. 

GOD’S ANSWER FOR BURNOUT

But then, one day, I felt the gentle but strong conviction of God. He reminded me that multiple times throughout His earthly life, Jesus was recorded as withdrawing from the crowds and His ministry. Think about that for a moment!

Every day, people are being healed and set free by Jesus. He was teaching the people, performing miracles, and going from town to town, proclaiming His Gospel to anyone who would listen. And that doesn’t take into account the thousands of people who were following Him every day. In other words, life was pretty busy and full, yet it was very successful for Jesus and His ministry!

And yet, in Luke 5:16, the Bible says that Jesus frequently withdrew away from the crowds and into deserted places. Why? So that He could be alone in prayer with the Father. 

GOD’S PRESENCE IS OUR REFUGE

You see, it’s often our hurried and frenzied schedules and calendars that can cause us to miss out on what matters or cause us to miss out on what satisfies the deepest needs in our souls.

What if our quickened, unhealthy pace of life is causing us to miss out on the greatest blessing that we’ve been given? What if our desire to accomplish so many things as ministers is leading us to a life of being unfulfilled? And what if our precious schedules are keeping us from the one thing that matters the most in life? Which is time spent enjoying the presence of God.

It’s in the presence of God that our souls are recharged, our hope is renewed, and His peace and joy fill our hearts. It’s in the presence of God where we are encouraged, challenged, convicted if necessary, and refreshed by God’s Word.

By withdrawing from the busyness of life and taking time to speak to and hear from our Father, we can powerfully care for our souls.

GOD’S INVITATION FOR YOU

So, examine your lifestyle. Are you taking enough time each day to withdraw from the noise and intensity of life and spend that with Christ? If you had to honestly evaluate the condition of your soul, would you say that you are in a healthy place? If not, how can you make small changes throughout your life that can lead to a fresh passion for the Lord and His people?

Each one of us wants to finish the race that God has placed in front of us. And to finish it with joy. What we have to realize is that your soul has to be cared for extremely well if you are going to fulfill the call that God has appointed you to. 

If you can relate to the feeling of being burnt out or you are trying to prevent that from happening, let the words of Christ in Matthew 11: 28-30 settle in your heart. Run your race with endurance and with all of your heart. And care for your soul through the art of withdrawing.

 

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

• When was the last time you considered your pace of life and ministry? Does it need a reset?
• What other Scriptures teach you the truth that God is our refuge and source of peace?

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