Have you ever sat around a bonfire with friends late into the night? Every once in a while someone adds an extra log or pokes the pile with a stick to keep the blaze alive, but inevitably there comes a point when it’s time to let the fire die. The flames slowly shrink until there’s nothing left but the red glow of embers, and your fingers and toes quickly begin to feel the difference. If you stay out for too long, even the blanket you’re wrapped in won’t do you much good.

This is what spiritual burnout is like.

Often the process of burning out is deceptively slow, not unlike the dying of a fire. You wait a few minutes too many before adding another log. You’re so busy laughing with your friends that you don’t notice the warmth fading. You’ve finished your last s’more and the fire’s purpose suddenly doesn’t seem as important.

There have been many seasons throughout my life -- particularly when I was in a position of ministry -- where I neglected to do my part in keeping my spiritual fire alive. Ironically, I was so busy helping at church events and teaching people about Jesus that I went entire days without uttering a single prayer or cracking open God’s Word (unless, of course, it was to write curriculum for a Bible study). Because I wasn’t taking the time to fill my heart with the truth of who I am in the Lord, I began to look for my sense of worth and value in the very people I was supposed to be serving.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. Before long I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted, and each time I found myself crawling back to the cross with almost nothing left to give.

Thankfully, this is exactly where Christ meets us.

Romans 12:11 tells us “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” The words “zeal” and “fervent” refer to a sense of passion. Serving the Lord is meant to be an exciting endeavor, but too often it turns into the thing that drains us. So how do we keep our inner fire alive?

The answer is found in the middle of the verse.

In the English Standard Version of this verse, there’s a footnote that gives another translation for “be fervent in spirit,” and that is “be fervent in the Spirit.” For me, the addition of “the” and the capital “S” change everything. This phrase does not refer to our human spirits. This verse is not telling us to muster up enthusiasm like a high schooler at cheerleading tryouts.

It is instructing us to find our fervor in the Holy Spirit, the form of God that dwells inside of us. He is the one that gives us the zeal we need to selflessly serve the people around us.

It is possible to be so focused on serving the people around us that we forget to tend to our souls by taking time to bask in the Light of the world, allowing his truth and love to stoke the fires of our hearts. The reality is that we cannot serve others well apart from the Spirit, and we cannot remain in the Spirit if we are not abiding in the Word.

I know how easily this message can be twisted into works-based faith (“I just need to pray and read my Bible more!”) so please know, sister, that that is not my intent. Jesus never shames us into spending time with Him. He knows that our frail human hearts cannot survive away from His warmth for long.

So He simply invites us to sit by the fire.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, 

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls.” 

(Matthew 11:28-29)

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BLOGGER 

Kati Lynn Davis grew up in Chester County and returned to the area after a brief stay on the other side of Pennsylvania to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She currently works as a Library Specialist and earns a living mostly by reading children’s books. She’s pretty sure she’s an Enneagram 4 but is constantly having an identity crisis over it, so thankfully she’s learning to root her sense of self in Jesus. A few of Kati's favorite subjects to write about are social media, mental health, and films, and she especially loves to explore these topics through the lens of faith. 

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LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR IF:2021 GATHERING - MARCH 5-6

We've never needed encouragement more. IF:Gathering 2021 is going to be a huge exhale and reminder of what we need to hear: Even if the world is getting darker, we are okay. Not only that, we are filled with hope, and we have a job to do—tell the world about Jesus. Are you in? Over 100 of us have already registered! Consider inviting a friend, sister, daughter, mother, etc. to join you for this virtual event, and feel free to share this link with any women in your life that would benefit! Watch the video trailer.

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