If you have been in a church or any Christian ministry you will observe this phenomenon: the person who began volunteering with alot of joy leaves the church a few months later explaining they’re “burned out.”  The leaders may explain to the burned out person that they can take a break, but usually it is too late — they are out the door.

We often associate burnout with exhaustion, but burnout is usually bitterness.

Their service has a honeymoon period where they believe they are serving the Lord and the church.  But somewhere along the way, and this is subtle, they don’t feel like they are getting thanked properly for their service.  Or they begin to see that they are putting alot of work in when others are just treating the church like consumers.

Then a little thought pops into their minds, “I thank you O God I am not like those other people who attend church just out of a consumer mentality.”  And this leads to a new found sense of righteousness and superiority in their service, which only leads to anger and bitterness.

No one gets bitter because of their “sin”, they get bitter because of their “righteousness.”  They think they deserve better.  And as soon as this attitude takes hold, the work becomes exhausting.  Because the work must now reward them and help them get recognized.  What formerly was a desire to serve, now has become a demand for recognition and the end result is always disappointment.

And that is why the person doesn’t just resign from their job, they leave the church altogether.  And, ironically, all their reasons for leaving have nothing to do with them, it is the church that’s the problem.