“I do not mean to make an idol of health, but it does seem to me that at least some of us have made an idol of exhaustion. The only time we have done enough is when we are running on empty and when the ones we love most are the ones we see the least.”- Barbara Brown Taylor, “Divine Distraction”
In Chapter 10 (“Strategic Failure”), the concluding chapter of Finding Favor, Brian Jones observes that success can be hard to define. Hence, Pastor Jones gives two examples of what success is not. As a result, we see more clearly what success truly means.
1. You’re not successful if you destroy your health along the way. When God calls you to do something, Brian notes, you always end up finding more things to do than time allows. Thus, you become your own worst enemy.
Furthermore, there’s a difference between working hard for God and turning into a workaholic. Also, Pastor Jones asserts, in God’s eyes people are worth dying for. Success is not. As Henry Blackaby wrote in Spiritual Leadership, God, unlike people, never piles on more than we can handle. God never:
- overlooks people
- drives His servants to the point of breakdown
- burns people out
- gives people tasks beyond the strength or ability He provides
2. You’re not a success if you destroy your family along the way. God’s well aware that once you choose to do something well, you’ll have to make a decision to cut back somewhere else. There’s only so much time. Most noteworthy, when God calls you to do something your family’s always a part of that vision. Consequently, it’s not an either or – either vision or family.
Today’s question: Have you ever made an idol of exhaustion? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: God’s stamp of approval on your life”
