by Asheritah Ciuciu
Do you feel burned out?
A 2022 article from the American Psychological Association describes a 35 percent increase in symptoms of burnout and stress over the previous three years, citing physical fatigue, cognitive weariness, emotional exhaustion or lack of interest, motivation or energy.[1]
It’s a national epidemic. Excessive productivity and increasing responsibilities have led to continual busyness and eventual burnout. We dread facing our schedules bulging with commitments we’d rather avoid. We’re burdened by non-stop caregiving for both elderly parents and younger children. And we feel a tiredness in our bones that no amount of sleep can erase.
Jesus knows what it’s like to be stretched to capacity, and He saw it in His disciples too. Surrounded by people demanding their attention, Jesus and His disciples didn’t even have time to eat. He said to them, “‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ . . . So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31‒32).
I find it humorous and slightly relatable that the only place the disciples could get away to be with Jesus was inside a boat in the middle of a lake. As a young mom, I experienced many days when the only place I could get a moment alone was in the bathroom, and even then, my children would stick their little fingers under the door to get my attention.
Jesus understands. And He meets us in our burnout with an invitation: “Come away with me” (NKJV).
No matter how the enemy comes at you to steal your joy, Jesus always meets you right where you are, with arms stretched wide and a heartfelt “Come to Me!” Only Jesus can deliver us from these robbers of delight. Thankfully, Jesus longs to restore our joy: “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (see John 16:22 and Psalm 34:17‒19).
We are not doomed to live out the rest of our days in brokenness, boredom and burnout—God can indeed restore our joy, and He’s already given us everything we need for that work of restoration to begin. We need to partner with Him in ways He’s already revealed to us in Scripture.
If you’re wondering if joy will ever come easily again—or worse, you won’t ever feel delight again—I’m here to say joy can be yours. I know because I’ve experienced it myself, and I’ve seen joy resurface in friends and countless women I interact with around the country and in our online community. And I want that for you too.
Part of reversing burnout and receiving Jesus’ joy is pressing “pause” on many of the activities we feel we “should” do, and leaning into the unique ways our Maker created each of us to connect with Him. I believe that just as we each have different personality types, we also have different “devotional personality types,” and how one person feels closest to God might differ from how another experiences His presence. Here are some examples of how my friends and I have created space to “come away” with Jesus and find rest for our souls in seasons of burnout:
If you’re naturally outdoorsy, get outside with God—after all, the heavens declare His glory (see Psalm 19:1). Read your Bible on your front porch while watching the sun rise, or go for a prayer walk through the forest. Look forward to the feel-good hormones released in your brain that cheer you on: “This. This is how God made me to connect with Him!”
If you’re a Bible nerd like me, block out an hour once or twice a week to go deep on the geeky Bible resources available. A couple of times a week, I sit down with concordances, dictionaries, Bible maps and The Bible Project videos to delve deep into the world of theology. And in that place, I feel God’s very presence.
If you’re artistic, you may find great joy in coloring, painting or hand-lettering your Bible study. I am not in the least artistic, but my daughters have enjoyed coloring key verses in the margins of their journaling Bibles while we take turns reading Scripture together.
If you’re a visual learner, pull out highlighters and Bible-safe pens to mark up your Bible and prayer journal. I like to color-coordinate my study of Scripture, using different colors for different themes; it helps me stay more engaged while I read and gives me a bird’s-eye view of the frequency of those themes in each book of the Bible. You might also enjoy using charts (or drawing them yourself) to process the information you’re reading.
If you’re a kinesthetic learner, find tactile ways to enter into God’s presence. Whether going for a prayer walk, dancing, using art supplies as discussed above, or even doing crafts that represent what you’re learning or help you process your journey with Jesus, you might find the most enjoyment by incorporating movement into your rhythms of delighting in Jesus.
Think of creative ideas that harness the power of your brain’s dopamine to create rhythms of being with Jesus that prove to be “a joy” and “delight to [your] heart” (Jeremiah 15:16 ESV). You can also take our 60-second quiz and discover your devotional personality type at delightinginjesus.com.
Now take a few moments to consider: How do you hear Jesus whispering to your soul His invitation to “Come to Me” to restore you to healing and joy? What’s one thing you’ll do this week to get away with Him and receive His rest? Jot it down, and discover what the psalmist meant when he said, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV).
[1]American Psychological Association, “Stress in America 2022: Concerned for the Future, Beset by Inflation,” October 20, 2022, https://www.apa.org/news/press/ releases/stress/2022/concerned-future-inflation.
Asheritah Ciuciu is a bestselling author, national speaker and host of the Prayers of Rest podcast. Asheritah is the author of many books, including Full, Prayers of Rest and Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. A Romanian missionary kid, she's passionate about helping people around the world enjoy Jesus through creative spiritual habits. Asheritah is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they raise their three spunky kiddos in NE Ohio. Discover your creative devotional type at www.OneThingAlone.com.
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