MONDAY December 8, 2025

Today’s Scriptures: Psalm 21; Isaiah 24:1-16a; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

“Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:1

It is hard to be joyful when we all feel so burned out.

Burnout used to be something reserved for CEO’s, politicians, and other high-stress type jobs. In modern culture, burnout is experienced across every sector of society, whether it is a stay-at-home mom, a teenager in school, or a car salesman. This psychological phenomenon has been studied, leading to a focus on forcing people to take vacation time and an entire cottage industry focused on relaxation and wellness. While these things are all good, and taking time off and caring for ourselves are important, what if that isn't the actual problem?

The last thing that could help us fight burnout is more! But here we stand with Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, encouraging us to do “more and more.” He even says it is the “will of God” in verse three —what?! Maybe Paul and scripture are on to something. Maybe the burnout, which is really just aggregated low-grade anxiety, we feel is not caused by the volume of our work, but by not having a clear why for doing the work.

I have realized there is no end to the challenges and tasks I take on. Laundry never ends, bills keep coming, and the dishes seem to pile up in the sink no matter how fast I do them. These are simply facts of life. If I frame these things as problems to solve, then I will always have “problems.” If I reframe this as 'these are things I do to take care of my family and show them how much I love them,' I can begin to find joy in these tasks. I will never love doing the dishes, but I do love Katie (my wife) and helping her. This makes the dishes not so bad.

This is the same with serving people. If we view them as problems to solve, we will have a lot of problems. If we view them as people to love, then we will have joy in helping them. This is the heart of finding joy in our lives and this world.

 

For Prayerful Consideration:

  1. What is a problem in your life that is draining you, and how could you reframe it with the perspective of love and Christ?
  2. If we are called to live and work with increasing love, what steps can you take today to obey this command?