Burnout and Bible-Reading

“ … he said, ‘This is the resting place, let the weary rest’ … but they would not listen.” (Isa. 28:12)

When God calls you to rest, do you listen?

Jesus has sent the invitation: “Come away by yourself to a desolate place and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). 

The choice is yours.

Step away for “awhile” from the burden of daily performance, and you return with baskets full of bread (Mark 6:43). 

But if you block your ears to the call to rest, your soul will slowly slip into disillusionment and decay.

“So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there …” (Isa. 28:13)

To the weary, the Word of the Father starts to sound like the voice of Pharaoh. Though you’re already drowning in “doing,” it feels like the Scriptures are calling for more—as though God is demanding bricks without supplying straw.

The truth is that your Father is nothing like Pharaoh. The king of Egypt demanded more productivity. Meanwhile, Yahweh called for an extravagant feast.

The Word of Christ is your daily bread—not your daily burden. When the Bible becomes nothing more than “Do this, do that,” your heart has lost touch with the Author.

Burnout doesn’t come from the heat of the season.

Burnout comes because we have long abandoned rhythms of cool-down rest with Christ.

Crush the idol of endless activity, cast aside the daily quota of bricks, and go to the heart of Christ.

Jesus is the Master who calls you away from your anxious doing into the good portion that is only found by sitting down.