Last year I greatly enjoyed getting to know the leaders of WorldHarvest Mission and learning about their passion topreach the gospel first to themselves and then to the nations. Isat down with Bob Osborne, executive director, to learn aboutthe distinctives and history of this agency, organized in thelate 1970s by pastor, evangelist, and author Jack Miller. Watchthe video at the end of this interview to learn more about WHMand their commitment to care for and disciple missionaries tocherish the gospel.

I corresponded with Osborne more recently to solicit hiscounsel about the problem of burnout among ministry leaders. Ifyou're stuck in the burnout spiral, I pray you will benefit fromOsborne's wisdom about how the gospel of Jesus Christtransforms how we care for ourselves and support one another.

At World Harvest Mission, you say that "life and ministrymust be saturated and motivated by our own need for---and experience of---the gospel of grace." What does thatlook like in practical terms on your staff and among yourmissionaries?

As pastors, workers, or missionaries, our busyness can easilyoverwhelm our ability to hold onto God's love for us in Christ,and God's presence with us as we live in fellowship withthe Spirit. We've found that the only way to authentically teachthese things is to be experiencing them ourselves.

To hold onto the gospel, workers like us need some degree ofhumility, flexibility, and adaptability. We look for people whohave an awareness and understanding of their sin patterns, astrong grasp of the gospel, and can apply the gospel to theirlives. We know that whether engaged in cross-cultural ministryabroad or working in the home office, our sin affects how werelate to one another, and we work at applying what we preachand teach to one another.

So we try to create a corporate culture of prayer, repentance,and forgiveness and seek to answer this question: "What doesfaith, expressing itself in love, look like in this situation?"

Burnout is a common experience among pastors andother ministry leaders. How does the gospel address thisproblem?

I have a deep and growing burden for Christian leadersbecause of the alarming number who have fallen over the pastdecade. As leaders, we are constantly tempted by a deadlycocktail of narcissism and isolation. And once our faith slipsfrom a tight grip on Jesus andhis power, we are trying todo tremendously difficult jobs on our own. At that point burnoutis never far behind.

It's a little scary how few leaders understand the idols that runtheir hearts: pride, reputation, people-pleasing, control,success, you name it. And it is equally as scary how manyleaders are ill-equipped to apply the gospel to their sin-burdened hearts.

How this shows up practically for us is having trusted friends inour lives who are willing and able to ask us hard questions---tospeak the truth in love when they see our self-deception. As youmight imagine, it takes a lot of humility and trust to submityourself to the godly wisdom, advice, and prayers of friendswho know you well. Of course it also never hurts to admit thatyou're not as essential to God's work as you might havethought!

What is one sure sign that a pastor or ministry leaderdoesn't grasp how the gospel should shape ministry?

At World Harvest we often talk about leaders being the "chiefrepenters." In fact, being the chief repenter is actually a formalpart of my job description! The moment we're no longer able toaccept criticism and other input from our peers and evensubordinates, I think we're missing the gospel.

In my experience, unwillingness to accept feedback necessarilycreates growing isolation, and even paranoia and anger. Thisdownward spiral can only be arrested by humble repentance---something that always brings joy, shows us our sin (andlimitations!) but even more, Christ's glory and work and theFather's love. Frankly, just stopping to remember that all wehave or can do is a gift from God and not something we'vedone ourselves changes everything. Of course, that's ofteneasier said than done.

Speak directly to a pastor watching this video or readingthis interview who realizes he's headed for burnout. Howdoes he now proceed to escape this downward spiral?

When I find myself heading for burnout, more often than not I'velost the rhythms of rest and repentance and start to chase myidols. I take my sights off of Christ and become self-focused---simply put, I try to take God's place on the throne.

So I guess I would say, "Pastor, you are prone to burnout forgood reason: the demands of ministry are endless and urgentand you lack the natural ability to self-regulate. Right now youneed to stop and seek those in authority over you and a fewtrusted friends to tell you how they see your life out of balance."

For me, that means asking questions about everything fromphysical exercise to sleep to prayer and relationships with mywife and children. Restoring a good work/life balance will helpstem the tide of burnout, but if we're being truthful, it will only getyou to zero.

Mostly from my many failures, I have learned that I get right backto burnout unless I have intentionally created ways to see my sinmore clearly and how that sin hurts others. I need constantreminders that my Father in heaven loves me and is singingover me because of what Christ has already done andnot what I'm achieving in ministry. I need to trust in Christ'srighteousness that is given to me in justification rather thantrying to create my own righteousness through my "success."And I need to exercise faith that God is at work in my life and inministry and it's not up to me to accomplish everything.

This is precisely why ongoing gospel mentoring is so critical forour own staff and missionaries and how truly life-changing ourdiscipling ministry has been to thousands of pastors over theyears. More than anything, it helps you learn how to regularlymeet with Jesus in this way.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/02/07/how-to-pull-out-of-the-burnout-spiral/