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Burned out or poured out. Did you know there was a difference?
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know a common theme I write about is trials and God’s sovereignty. Life has been difficult for me in all areas- marriage, motherhood, professionally, and personally. Over the years I have come to see God’s sovereign hand in it all and I am so grateful for what the trials have produced in regards to my relationship with the Lord.
But it came at a cost to me. Regardless of how closely we’re walking with the Lord, we are still human and have human limitations. We will experience burnout when we push too far without rest and physical problems when we fail to eat well and exercise. It’s part of how God created us.
Lately, God has been showing me the difference between poured out and burnout. I started showing signs of burnout- forgetfulness, exhaustion, apathy, testiness, etc and realized I was experiencing burnout in 6 of the 7 areas of rest. Whoops. Yep- I was running too hard and I had been for too long. When I started looking at cutting things out of my life and trying to figure out what I could say no to, I realized each piece was necessary. I couldn’t let go of anything.
Then God started bringing the phrase poured out to me. He began to show me that I was not burned out from doing too much but I was poured out from living the life He had called me to. He gave me a special needs child who needs a lot of supervision and correction, 2 surprise kiddos now 3 and 5, a dad with cancer, a hubby with a demanding job, and a small house where 6 of us live and homeschool.
God helped me to understand that it’s burnout when you’re doing it all on your own seeking the approval of men. Poured out is when you’re living the life the Lord has laid out before you for His glory. The physical symptoms are the same but the difference lies in the attitude of the heart.
Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation- following the Lord’s lead yet just feeling completely spent and exhausted. May I suggest that we are being poured out for the Lord? And now we need to learn how to let Him fill us back up.
God also graciously provided that for me and you, too!
I’d like to share something with you that God brought to me and invite you to attend the Enjoy God’s Word 2021 Conference put on by Katie Orr. Interestingly, this year’s theme is Poured Out. There are 19 speakers plus bonus talks and interviews all speaking into the empty, barren seasons of life. It’s all happening October 1-2 (this Friday and Saturday!!) with extra live sessions and chats but you have early access to the talks and lifetime access afterward.
My favorite part is that the videos are around 30 min each so it’s much easier to find the time to listen or watch and participate.
Would you join me? I’ve already watched a few of the sessions and have been blown away by how much the scriptures speak to seasons of being poured out. There is so much wisdom within the sacred pages. If you feel poured out and empty in your life right now, you don’t want to miss this!
You can learn more, see the speaker lineup, and purchase your ticket to this virtual conference over on Katie Orr’s website. While the theme is poured out, there are also sessions on studying the Bible. This conference will enrich your spiritual walk with the Lord bless you in many ways.
Katie is offering a free bonus, an e-course on How to Pour Out Your Heart to God, when you purchase your ticket. Katie does an amazing job with it and I was blessed with some fresh perspective on prayer there also.
If you are feeling empty and exhausted in your life right now, I hope you join me in attending the Enjoy God’s Word 2021 Conference. Go check it out!
