How to Avoid Burnout

I grew up on my father’s cocoa plantation in the southwestern part of Nigeria. There was no such thing as electricity on our farm, just a local lamp but the technology behind it is quite interesting. This lamp is made up of an oil tank (crafted from the used can of beverages) and a thread. As seen in this image, the thread runs through the pipe to supply oil so that as the top of the thread burns, the fire does not consume the thread. 

This fire continues to burn as long as there is oil in the tank but the moment the oil is finished, the thread can continue to burn but on its own strength, no longer on the strength of the oil. The result is that after a while the thread will burnout, the fire will die and the light will go off. 

This is similar to how men die spiritually as well. Look at how Jesus described us in Matthew “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). When we rely on our strength alone to shine our light, we will indeed shine but that light can only last a moment. You are just like the thread in that lamp, if there’s no oil of the spirit powering your light it is only a matter of time before you burn out. Guess what? In the period of that burnout, you will still be shining a measure of light but like the lamp without oil, it won’t last. 

It was in light of this that God brought this technology to Zerubbabel during the period when he was building the temple of God. “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).  I particularly love how the Amplified version puts it. “This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],’ says the Lord of hosts. That’s because the chapter 4 of Zachariah started first with a revelation. In that revelation there was a lampstand and there were two Olive trees beside it symbolizing an unlimited oil source to continuously power the lamp. This is what God also wants to do for you this year but you will have to tap into his unlimited resources. 

How can we tap into these unlimited resources practically? Isaiah gave us an insight when he said“they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). This is the time for you to make up your mind to wait upon the Lord so that he will impart you with strength out of his abundant resources. How do we wait? Jude made it clear in verse 20 of his one-chapter Gospel “But ye, beloved, build up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20). 

It’s time to build up yourself, start now!