This sponsored post was prepared by Christopher Ash. “I would rather wear out than rust out,” George Whitefield once said. Many pastors today are doing exactly that: Almost half of US pastors and their wives say they have experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry (Today’s Pastors (2014), George Barna). Yet many others in pastoral ministry remain quietly skeptical about the phenomenon of “pastor burnout.” Why not burn out for Jesus? After all, did not the Lord Jesus say something to that effect? “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9 v 23-24, ESV) Surely the right response to this challenge from the Lord is to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into his service and the service of his gospel, and not to set limits to our self-giving. I might have been tempted to think that too—that is, until I came close to the brink of burnout myself. I had been working for eight busy years leading a Bible training course in central London. In September 2012 I returned from an intense ministry visit to Australia and Singapore to begin an eagerly anticipated sabbatical term. My wife, Carolyn, was looking forward to sharing those weeks with me. Instead, I hit the wall. My energy plummeted; my mood dipped sharply; my morale went through … Continue reading The Difference Between Costly Sacrifice and Needless Burnout