Burnout: A Massive Volcanic Eruption

In April of 1815, Mount Tambora, on a small island in Indonesia, violently exploded. It was the biggest and most destructive volcanic eruption in recorded human history. Tambora, one of few volcanoes measuring 7 out of 8 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, was heard 1,200 miles away, flung debris 12 miles up into the stratosphere, killed 71,000 people, and caused the winter of 1816 to be the “year without a summer.” The year 1816 was the second coldest year in the northern hemisphere since 1400, ruining most crops in North America and sickening millions around the world.

Above: The Crater of Mount Tambora, Indonesia (From Wikipedia)

So many aspects about volcanos parallel the phenomenon of burnout in our own lives—the tragic potential for great harm, the seductive beauty before disaster, the warning signs before eruption, the destructive aftereffects, the parallels for prevention and recovery, and even the seemingly impossible hope of rising from the ashes into new joy and fruitfulness.

In the spring of 2011, I burned out in glorious fashion. I was one of the pastors of a large church in Pittsburgh, and our church was in an intensive ministry season. My mom had just died, and I had just been discharged from the hospital after classic but undiagnosed symptoms of heart attack and stroke. During the next two years, my health, passion, and spiritual health declined to the point that I was done. Just done. Not suicidal or clinically depressed. But done in so many ways.

What We’ll Cover in This Blog Series About Burnout

I look forward to offering you what I believe will be a unique perspective about burnout, especially "Christian burnout," which is burnout in our efforts to serve Christ.  

In this multi-part blog series about burnout, we will cover:

• The seductive beauty of burnout: What happens when we go all-out for God in certain ways.
• The fallout of burnout: Consequences burnout.
• Yellow Alert: Early warning signs of burnout.
• Red Alert: Signs that burnout is imminent.
• Stop the eruption? Can burnout always be prevented?
• Hot lava or hotter lava: Two kinds of burnout.
• A uniquely Christian perspective of burnout.
• How to cool the magma: Address burnout before it erupts.
• Rise from the ashes: How to recover from burnout.
• Your Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI): How close to burnout are you?
• Take cover: Your uniquely personal action plan for burnout.
• Joy from the ashes: Fulfillment and fruitfulness beyond burnout.
  
  

The Seductive Beauty of Burnout: What Happens When We Go All-Out for God in Certain Ways

Volcanoes are fascinatingly, seductively beautiful. Photojournalists travel to far-flung exotic destinations to capture volcanic majesty and power. Adventurous thrill-seekers pay expert tour guides to hike to the edges of massive craters for a once-in-a-lifetime peek, defying imminent risk of eruption and death.

So also, in our desire to live sacrificially as Christ taught us, we are enticed to the edge of human endurance, with good intentions, going all-out in service for God—to the point of risking health, relationships, and even our very lives.

• Pastors are praised for their selfless 70-hour work weeks.
• Church volunteers happily sacrifice most evenings and weekends to church work.
• And there’s nothing like finding out what God uniquely wants you to do and then working joyfully and tirelessly—until you’re no longer joyful, but you sure are plenty tired!

The Christian life is indeed a sacrificial life, joyfully rendered in service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

It's like the apostle Luke said:

Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

The apostle Paul—who was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, jailed, and probably beheaded for his faith—wrote the verse below:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galations 6:9)

The apostle Paul also said this: 

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. (Philippians 2:17)

So, does this mean that God sometimes calls us to work so tirelessly that we can't help but burn out? Is burnout sometimes inevitable if we're totally committed to Christ? (More about that in a later blog! The answer is not as simple as you might think!)

The Fallout of Burnout

Volcanoes such as the more than 200 centuries ago at Mount Tambora wreak unimaginable devastation. Volcanic eruptions, even in modern times, destroy homes, businesses, individual lives, families, and even entire cities.

Similarly, the phenomenon of burnout, even when rendered in service to Christ, also wreaks havoc.

Below are some well-known consequences of burnout:

• Physical exhaustion
• Loss of physical health
• Constant anxiety
• Loss of joy
• Resentment and anger
• Relational stress
• Skewed priorities
• Spiritual decline

After my own burnout, I was so physically spent that I could no longer do my job in my role as pastor. So I decided to resign. For years after that, I suffered from anxiety and a sense of failure because I felt like I should have been able to do better. I should have been able to "take it." No one told me that or implied it—I put the pressure on myself.

In future blogs of this series, I'll share some often-unrealized consequences of burnout, practical tips for avoiding burnout, and recovery remedies for after-burnout. Plus, I'll share key transformational biblical truths that prevent and heal burnout far more effectively than avoidance of negative consequences. So stay tuned for all of that, and for additional fascinating facts and photos about volcanoes! 🙂

Looking Ahead to the Next Blog

In my next blog, we'll explore these aspects of Christian burnout:

• Yellow Alert: Early warning signs of burnout.
• Red Alert: Serious signs of impending burnout.
• Stop the eruption? Can burnout always be prevented?
• Hot lava or hotter lava: Two kinds of burnout.
• Transformational biblical truths about burnout.

Action Steps

• Review the section above: “So many aspects about volcanos parallel Christian burnout.” What are your thoughts about the parallels?
• How have you experienced the "fallout of burnout" in your own life?
• Review the section above: “What we’ll cover in this blog series about burnout.” Which aspects of burnout interests you most?
• What do you think about the balance between "leaving all on the field for God" versus being careful not to burn out?
• What do you think about this question: "Can—and should—burnout always be prevented?"
  
  

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