There are so many serving opportunities at New Hope. The needs for servants are on going. In some cases, willing, die hard volunteers give themselves to sacrificial service. Even to the point of weariness - then burnout - then drop out. That is not God’s desire or will. In my efforts to shepherd volunteers to live healthy, balanced lives, one of the key issues is not calling serving or ministry an enemy. Is our enemy serving or something else about our lives or within us that needs correction. It’s easy to blame our weariness on serving. Below are some questions I ask volunteers, mentorees and staff when they feel burned out.

• Are you spending quality time doing your daily devotions ? If we spend quality time with God, listen and heed to His voice, we will always be aligning our hearts, schedules and lives to His will.

• Are you doing too much?
  

• Do you actively and consistently plan your days and weeks according to your priorities?
  

• What and to whom is your primary ministry? Are you compromising your service to your primary ministry?

• What do you do that drains you? fills you?

• Are you being obedient to your Sabbath - your day of rest with the Lord?

• How is your health? Are you eating right? Exercising?

Honest answers to these questions reveal causes to weariness, burn out and drop out. Do you have other tips or questions you ask? Please share a thought or suggestion in this area. Let’s build healthy hearts and lives - disciples that will go the distance and live for the long haul.

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 10th, 2007 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Health, Leadership, Volunteers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.