Trading Burnout for Breakthrough Comes from a Focused Spirit
A focused spirit? What even is that, you may be wondering. In a world busy promoting the latest quick fix or superficial and self-indulgent versions of “soul-care” it’s no wonder, focused spirit is a bit of an attention grabber.
Broke, busted, disgusted and headed toward the road to burnout. That’s how most would summarize the spirit of the world today. But not here, we’re going to stir the pot a little bit.
See, accepting fleeting pleasures and self-centered notions of self/soul-care is the norm, but God offers a deeper and more enduring path away from this chase and road to burnout. But not if you’re unwilling to walk it.
Burnout is an epidemic and it’s anecdote is cultivationg a focused spirit – but we’re missing it.
There are staggaring statistics on the prevalence of burnout in the entrepreneurial world. More than 90% of entrepreneurs have admitted to feeling burned out at some point, a quarter say they work 60 hours or more a week, and nearly a third feel burnout has affected their mental health.
Now I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound very good for everyday life, let alone business! Yet, this is the “accepted norm” of the founder life.
As known and as tolerated as these facts are, little attention or effort is directed to changing it. (other than talking about it) Most can’t get off the hamster wheel long enough to assess their true state, let alone get help or apply these “fixes”.
Something has to change or nothing will. Yet, knowing that and doing it are what separates those who are soul satisfied and spirit-filled, and those who are still chasing down their next self-help fix!
God loves us too much and is way to creative to leave us chasing our next quick or self-fixes. His solution leads to lasting fulfillment.
A focused spirit will not only accelerate your breakthroughs, but level up your LIVING.
That’s right, living, not just merely existing or surviving. Valued, amazing lady in business, and sister in Christ – at what point did we trade living for survival mode?
Was it when we adopted the belief that our eternity only begins and all those heavenly promises come to fruition when we die?
Sister, our eternity begins the moment we say YES to Christ as Savior, and accept all of heaven’s promises are activated by our trust, belief, and surrendering to His will, His way, and walking with Him. Die to self is a whole ‘nother level of living.
Speaking of living, check out this verse…
I remain confident of this:
Psalm 27:13 NIV
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
How’s that for a promise? And not for after you die, but here and now. I can’t help but think if this is what Jesus had in mind when He prayed, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.“
Where this less than mindset, muddled identity, and a martyrdom in our “ministry marketplaces” came from, I don’t know, but it didn’t come from God.
Growing and nurturing a focused spirit takes work and intention.
Work and intention are typically the key ingredients to great returns on investments, right? Yet, this deposit of putting your life into His hands has eternal benefits that start in the here and now.
Easy, not always. Worth it, yes. And before you think I’m going to preach some kind of prosperity gospel to you, think again.
Look at it from a different perspective for a minute.
Think of the people that you love. How much joy do you get in making them laugh, giving them gifts that have personal significance and they appreciate? How much fun is it to discover new ways to make their lives better, easier, happier?
Now how surprised would you be if I told you that’s what our Heavenly Father has in mind and desires for us? And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. EASY, to quote that one, right? Romans 8:28. But don’t miss what it says in place of what you want it to mean. It says…
- We know (do we?)
- In all things (everything?)
- God works for the good (for who? for what?)
- Of those who love Him (do you LOVE Him? All. the. time??)
- Who have been called (have you answered?)
- According to His purpose (Whose??)
Okay, I think we’ve established a bit of a footing to get to the root of this post, so let’s get to it.
From burnout to breakthrough by way of a focused spirit.
First, let’s define some terms so that we move forward with clarity.
Soul, spirit, mind, heart, these are often used in interchangeable ways, but they’re not the same. While I’m no expert, nor do I have all the detailed answers, but I think I can give you a pretty good overall perspective.
Today, our focus is on soul and spirit. Every living thing has a soul and if it’s breathing, it’s active. However, not everyone’s spirit is fully active. The soul and the spirit are separate. For our purposes here, let’s say that the soul is personal and the spirit, well, that’s spiritual.
See, sin separated the spirit from God. This happened way back in the garden, and why we are “born with a sin nature” and the only way to reconnect your spirit to God is through Christ.
“At one time you were separated from God. But now Christ has made you God’s friends again … by his death … ” (Colossians 1:21-22)
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6)
While we could dig in and talk about this so much more, the goal here is to help you prioritized your focus, on the right things. So here’s a post-it version to remember: soul = self-conscious and spirit = God-conscious.
Remembering that your soul speaks to your nature, your spirit shows your identity. Self-awareness vs. God-awareness. Can you imagine the possibilities when you steward them both properly?
Trading burnout for breakthrough with focus.
Overwhelmed by life’s demands. Constantly chasing after success. Feeling disconnected from purpose. Struggling to manage time and priorities. Those make us the poster child for burnout and continually chasing self-care.
While it’s important to take care of yourself, it’s more imperative that you take your cares to the one who can actually work them out for good!
Discovering and digging into your soul and spirit connection will help you
- Embrace self-awareness and God-awareness.
- Prioritize your focus on the right things.
- Find alignment with your God-given purpose.
Worldviews of the way to happiness and even fulfilliment will encourage you to look for things, people or places that offer you instant gratification. In biblical terms this would be known as “feed the flesh” but recognized today more as “feeding your soul.”
God’s Spirit in us requires patience. It’s about growing through the process, without trying to rush to the outcome.
Self-care in the world’s eyes often means indulging in whatever feels good, regardless of the consequences.
Yet, often times God calls us to self-denial. A focused spirit is about letting go of temporary pleasures in pursuit of something greater. It’s about aligning our desires with God’s will. (that’s the heart/mind connection by the way)
Embracing God’s vision for soul care over culture’s version, allows His Spirit to keep yours focused, and as a result, you’ll discover a richer, more profound way of living. Trading the burnouts for the breakthroughs.
trusing Him to keep my spirit focused right there with ya,
Not sure what to do next or how to get more focused fuel for your faith, life & business? Here are some starters…