Do You Ever Burn the Candle at Both Ends?

Hope for the Tired

As I tried to climb out of the deep pit of burnout, I loved this Old Testament verse. It gave me HOPE then, as it does now. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, . . . then your light will rise in the darkness. . . . The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.” Isaiah 58:9-11

“When you burn both ends of a candle, it may produce twice as much light, but the candle burns out twice as fast. People experiencing burnout suddenly discover that all of their mental, emotional and physical energies have been consumed,” writes management expert, Myron Rush. Perhaps you’ve noticed this “I can do it all” phenomenon in your own life or in the lives of leaders you know. Sometimes it leads to shaming-blaming behavior. But God says there’s hope for the overwhelmed and tired.

Have you seen the effects of a forest fire? Once-luscious trees stand barren. Formerly lush wildflowers become parched. Yet God’s handiwork and time can replenish what the flames have stolen.

And God will replenish His exhausted children, too. When you give Him control, He promises to meet your heart’s sun-scorched needs and give you hope-filled strength for the healing process.










Have you ever caught yourself burning the candle at both ends?