How has being busy distracted from my faith life?
As a public school teacher, my day is packed with decisions. The most common types of daily decisions include when to help students, making curriculum improvements, and which professional development topics to explore. And several other types of decisions are added when you consider parent-teacher conferences, administrative duties, evaluations, and extracurricular activities. All these decisions can pile up in a given week and the amount changes depending on the demands that the time of school year brings.
As much as we expect our teachers to be superheroes, they are also human. One article about teacher burnout shows that teachers on average make 1,500 decisions in a day.1 All humans have limits. And, at some point the capacity to make decisions is reached. This limit is called decision fatigue. As you can imagine, it is reported that a teacher shortage has been exacerbated by the demands of conducting school during the pandemic. This has proved true from my own experience.
The fall of 2020 was my first year as a licensed teacher and I was already tasked with a lot at the start. I had to teach two new high school science classes and an 8th-grade science class. At the 8th-grade level, I was required to teach three sections with an average of 25 students in each. On top of that, I was not allowed to do any hands-on activities in student groups to maintain physical distancing.
I felt overwhelmed some weeks with decision fatigue. As a result, I found I had less compassion to give outside of the school day. Yes, I still attended church, but could not interact with other members as much as I could have in previous years. At my busiest times, I tended to either find a quiet corner after worship to relax. Other times, I chose to endure social interaction at the risk of becoming short-tempered. Whatever time I could find to rest at church would soon be taken up by grading or lesson planning as soon as I returned home. Yet, I am grateful many members at my church heard my distress in those busy weeks and provided some grace. In addition to my faith, I credit the support of family, friends, and co-workers to get through those challenging days as a first-year teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time, I noticed another side effect of keeping a busy schedule as an educator. I often focused more time on meeting district expectations and keeping up with the demands of my job than what I put into my daily faith practice. I must admit the time I set aside for God had shrunk after first becoming a teacher. Out of exhaustion, I reduced the opportunities to seek what I’m called to be as a disciple of Jesus. It seems counter-productive, but my initial time as an educator became more about meeting professional expectations and developing skills rather than fulfilling God’s purposes through teaching.
An important lesson I learned this past year is to pay attention to personal energy levels. When I began to experience burnout, I relied too much on my own power or expectations. Instead, I needed to rely on God’s expectations and seek help in carrying the burdens of each day. I thought back to times God showed me ways to handle being busy in a better way. One example came from my time serving in Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS).
About 10 years ago, some days serving in BVS were quite busy. I would work at my desk in the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy checking copious amounts of emails, then heading off to meetings with other organizations and congressional officials. However, I rarely got burned out at the end of the day.
Looking back, I realized that I lived in a supportive community. There I could feel safe talking out the stress of each day, connecting to the frustrations spoken by others, and celebrating shared joys. I had time set aside to read devotions and volunteer with gardening. I remember receiving positive affirmations from others whom I lived and worked with. I would also return affirmations in kind. Sure we had conflicts every so often, but often found ways to work them out by a measure of compassion within the community. I found, in certain ways, community is one anecdote to addressing issues of stress.
Another lesson I gained in reducing burnout is to have clear and realistic goals in your work. There is a saying I’ve heard from professional development programs in education. It is finding your “Why” or the main purpose that one gives in their daily work. A lot of my purpose is helping students discover something new – and hopefully exciting – about God’s universe. I do this at the public school through the insight and skills that natural science has fostered. Finding your “Why” not only establishes direction in your work, it also provides a sense of accomplishment that drives your students and your instruction forward.
Entering my second year as a licensed educator, there is a greater appreciation for practices of rest and rejuvenation. I intentionally returned to spiritual practices to reduce burnout. Most often this has meant for me saying a prayer in the morning for strength and clarity before going to work. In the evening, prayer and devotional reading help me relax and allow meaningful reflection on the day. Truth be told, there are some days when I don’t have the energy to comprehend all that I’m reading at night. But the repetition of the practice helps me relax and glean wisdom later in the week. At its best, this set aside time allows me to discern whether or not I fulfilled a worthwhile purpose for the day.
I’m also building a supportive community between work and personal life, actively seeking out the help of fellow educators in my district and region. For example, my participation in a book club with other educators builds stronger connections; allowing space to discuss the shared frustrations and joys within our profession. I have also enlisted the help of a counselor whom I meet about once a week to talk about challenges in both my personal and work life. Just like my experience with BVS, I find that these exercises take off some burdens I’m carrying and build up a community of support.
So there is a change in mindset of how I approach work this year. Yes, I’m still kept rather busy as a high school science teacher in a rural district. But I’m more focused on the purpose of my daily work. I do this by paying attention to what is going on in the world, seeking answers to what God is doing in these times, and reflecting on what my part in this cosmic story is through everyday work. For example, I’m more intentional to pray and reflect on ways I can share Divine compassion in and beyond the school day. It hasn’t always been easy, but I find rewards more often from each school day when I get my priorities in line with God’s.
All Together Now.
This fall, feeling a bit less burdened with teaching responsibilities, I decided to participate in a community theater production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” based on the story by Barbara Robinson. I felt it was a way I could get out of the house and purposefully minister to people in another creative way about the meaning of Christmas. The play highlights a community that had been caught up in the mundane retelling of the nativity. That is until the Herdman siblings, a boisterous and belligerent family, are unexpectedly invited by a young child to attend church for free desserts. The Herdmens also naively volunteer for the annual Christmas pageant and turn the church’s traditional expectations upside-down. In the process, people’s feelings in the church community were stirred up by the involvement of this new raucous family. And yet, the Herdman sibling’s participation undeniably resulted in a more powerful understanding of the Christmas story for everyone involved.
We too should see Christmas as an opportunity to shake up our mundane expectations of what God is doing among us and receive a surprising new reality. The birth of Jesus was not out of convenience to our social expectations but rather exposed a divine purpose that transformed them. Even in difficult times, God sought out a better way forward. Christmas is a time to stop and listen to what new possibilities God has in store for us.
Believing that Jesus is the son of God, we can take wisdom in the words given to us in the Gospel of Matthew. These are words of wisdom about how his followers should deal with the struggles and worries of each day.
Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? […] But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:25, 6:33-34)
No doubt you may have felt a rush of decisions during the Christmas holiday. Where do I buy gifts for whom? How much should I spend? Where should I go to meet friends? All these decisions can add up as well. The worries and tiredness can pile up.
Following those stressful moments, I encourage you to take a pause, step back and ask: What is your Why? What is your purpose for being busy? Is it striving for the purposes of God’s Kingdom, or is it to impress others?
Finding Your Why.
Brethren are known for being industrious and hard-working people. But there is also wisdom about being purposeful when we are at work and when we must rest.
When in the right mindset, being busy can be a conduit for God to act through us.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we Christians are. “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” It is a reminder that the situations in which we are placed and the work we do must start from the priorities of God to be effective.
In the Church of the Brethren, we believe everyone who has accepted the call of discipleship is a minister of the Gospel. That means all followers of Jesus have a part to contribute to the Kingdom of God in their daily work and personal moments. How we identify and address our own “why” is a key factor to effective ministry. One gains motivation and enjoyment of the daily work they specifically are created to do. Collectively, these personal “whys” build upon and encourage others to enact transformative ministries. What often emerges from these inspired good-works of our relatively small denomination has shown new and exciting hope for the world.
Of course, the Gospel accounts also remind us that even Jesus had to withdraw from the crowds every so often to realign the priorities of his ministry with those of his Heavenly Father. As we read in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus himself calls us to rest in him.
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Foremost, pastors need this grace from their congregants as well. A recent Barna2 study cited an increase in pastor burnout. While the demands of the pandemic have been a factor, there were already existing issues and prior demands that strained the role of pastors. Let me be clear, pastoring is demanding work and it is not unusual to also experience burnout. Compassion fatigue and secondary trauma aren’t only relegated to health care professionals and social work. This is why a sabbatical is recommended by the denomination every several years. It allows space for clergy to rest, reflect, and recharge their ministry for the church.
We members also need to allow ourselves the same grace that one cannot do good works alone. We must seek help from others ﹘especially from God ﹘ when feeling overwhelmed. We must recognize our own human limitations and take a break when our emotional tank is drained. Otherwise, we do damage to our very being.
I remember a famous prayer by Catholic Bishop Ken Untener whenever I get overwhelmed by all the expectations, whether placed on me or created by me. “We cannot do it all, but there is liberation in recognizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”3
God created us, knows our unique gifts, and calls us into specific responsibilities that can transform the world. While God wants us to be an active part of building the heavenly kingdom on earth, we never expected to do it all. God knows all the limitations of human beings and provides an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation to all who seek to follow Jesus. Human endeavors are only made complete by the interceding grace and power of God.
I recognize there is a privilege in what I’m saying about rest and sabbath. Many people don’t have the choice of their employer or the option to take off from work easily. There are some in our secular world who have often exploited the work of less powerful people to gain wealth and status. Addressing these injustices could be a mission outreach opportunity. What are ways your church could advocate for sabbath rest in the faith community and in society? Are paid vacation and paid paternity leave a part of your workplace policies? Is it included in your church employment policies? These and many other examples of just employment policies are areas your church can learn about. If you and your faith feel so inclined, there are several ways churches can advocate for workplace justice in their community and beyond.
The new year brings the practice of resolutions. I’m ambivalent about them. While I see the possibility of placing upon ourselves unrealistic expectations, I also have found some good ones to try after end-of-the-year reflections. Most often, I reflect on areas of gratitude, grace, and growth I experienced from the year. So in closing, I leave you questions to ponder about your expectations in work and daily life.
First, consider when you feel stressed and overwhelmed in your daily routines. Is it from working without a clear purpose or a supportive community? Where do you hold God in those busy situations? How could you open up in a new way to God’s purposes in spite of your present challenges?
Then consider where you have found rest and rejuvenation. What is your “why” for the work you do? Can you express a clear purpose or are you blindly going through routines? Is there a community of support you can employ to help you unload frustrations and carry burdens? Or do you need to seek the help of professional counseling and prayer with God?
Whatever you do in your daily life, the goal is to be mindfully busy. As we enter a new year, keep the priorities of God and your abilities at the foundation of the work you are called to do. Make time to recharge yourself in the unique ways God made you to enjoy so that you can be a blessing for others.
I hope we each had taken in the slower paces of the holidays to relax and rejuvenate, reflecting with God and the faith community for wiser priorities into the new year. May the peace of Christ be with you.
- Goldberg, Gravity, and Renee Houser. “Battling Decision Fatigue.” Edutopia July 19, 2017. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/battling-decision-fatigue-gravity-goldberg-renee-houser
- 38% of Pastors Have Thought About Quitting Full-time Ministry in the Past Year. https://www.barna.com/research/pastors-well-being/ Nov 16, 2021
- This prayer has been misattributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero http://www.romerotrust.org.uk/romero-prayer
- All scripture references are to the New Revised Standard Version.
