Burned Out!

Tired out means that we have run out of gas. All we need to do after making such a foolish mistake is slip unnoticed into a filling station and get a gallon to go for $2.60. A friend of mine ran out of gas on "faith" one time. He was coming back from a trip to Chicago and suddenly noticed his gas gauge was on EMPTY.

Bob quickly sent up an urgent arrow prayer, "Oh Lord, just help me make it to the next exit so I can get gas." He made it but since he had done so well on the first prayer he got prideful and decided he could get all the way home. He ran out just a mile beyond the exit he hadjust passed.

When we are tired out in life after a very hard day's work all we need to do to recover is get some rest and sleep. It is amazing what that will do to rejuvenate us. In fact, we need exercise and physical exhaustion is good for us.

Burn out is different. We cannot recover so easily from it because it is running out of oil not gas. Running out of gas requires a new tank of petrol but running out of oil means a new engine. A former employee of ours was returning home to the East Coast when she saw the oil light blinking. "Oh, goody" she thought. "I must be producing oil."

Her discernment and auto knowledge were faulty so before long the car began to knock and ping and it finally came to a grinding halt. When AAA got there he told her the problem and she said, "Put in some oil. I have to get to the coast."

But oil will not work when burn out occurs because the engine, the source of power and drive is burnt to a crisp. As they say, "Stick a fork in him. He is done!"

When we burn out we have to refigure our inner lives. We need a new driver and a new source of power. We can run our lives by our own power when we are young but that ends at about age 40. Burn out occurs at the time between youth and maturity.

Few churches or ministries have a picture of a mature ministry or mature success. All the modern models are for the youth among us. All we hear is, "Tear down the old barns and build bigger ones."

I am spending lots of time with successful men who have run out of oil. They desperately need a new source of power and a new vision of the next stage in life. Thankfully, God is showing up in our talks and we are seeing Him act on their behalf. It is very exciting.

I say this: "Don't Retire; Refire."

The Kingdom of God is within. Jesus