A healthy ministry is only led by a healthy minister. Looks can be deceiving. You can look great on the outside and be wasting away on the inside. Knowing how close you are to burnout is a key factor in being accountable and useful to God. I've had friends in the pastorate that quit, not sure why, but just woke up one morning knowing that it was all over, just a matter of time before they resigned.

Sometimes they braved through it, kept on at all costs and made it last for a while longer. In the meantime, they damaged other parts of their lives and relationships with others. What I wish someone would have told them was to look at the signs ahead, not the ones behind them. When I flew helicopters in the army, we flew low and fast. It was hard to keep up with our location on the map. By the time I recognized a landmark or location on the map and started looking for it just ahead, it was often behind me.

Some pastors go faster and faster at whatever it is they think they are supposed to be doing, then, all of a sudden, they hit a wall and don't know where they are anymore or why they are even there. All they know is that something has to change.

If you see some of the signs that you are close to burnout, stop, rest, think, pray and read about it. Here's a book that I think might make all the difference. Leading On Empty by Wayne Cordeiro. I read it through in two days, it makes sense and is well written. It gets inside your heart without feeling intrusive or judgmental. It builds a case for facing burnout, but not giving into it, or quitting. It redirects your life while keeping your life on track. It's a fine book by a hard charging pastor and church planter who knows what he's talking about. Give it a read, I think you'll be very glad you did, even if everything looks fine.