Book Review: ReSet: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture by David Murray

I suppose it can happen to all of us. Well, it can happen to any of us - Burnout. Burnout can manifest itself in a number of ways and be triggered by a number of reasons. It's not black and white. It's multifaceted and can be affecting any of us without us realizing it, at least not a first. We may recognize many of the symptoms but be clueless to their origins and how we may resolve the issues we're experiencing.

Author David Murray, is a pastor, teacher, speaker, and blogger at headhearthand.org. Within the pages of ReSet he reveals the origins of burnout and as the reader progresses through the work is taught methods of effectively dealing with it. Murray calls it living the "Grace-paced life." We spend much time and effort in many worthwhile pursuits, but are they always beneficial?

Early on Murray calls the reader to a Reality Check as we miss many of the warning signs, Murray provides us with a list of warning signs to beware of or perhaps already experiencing. One should carefully review the warning signs and realize that part of the grace-paced life is slowing down from the "over-paced life."

In the following chapters Murray covers an array of areas wherein the reader should focus:

-What the cause(s) may be
-The need for sleep
-The need for routine mixed with play
-The need for exercise and rest and quietness
-Realizing our true identity
-The value of failure and the necessity to accept change
-Rethinking our purpose
-Eating right
-The need for proper and regular devotions

And much more.

Burnout is real and can affect any of us differently. My suggestion is to take this book seriously and consider the implications on your life. Consider if you are burned out. Murray offers much sound biblical advice from his own life experiences and from those he has counseled. I firmly commend this book to all men, especially those who are weary. There is much hope and value to be gleaned from its pages.

David Murray is also the author of Christians Get Depressed, Too and Jesus On Every Page. I can heartily recommend both of these works to the reader as well.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.

Book Review: Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms

Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms is my book of the year (for whatever that is worth). I’ve read or perused many of Packer’s books but this book condenses much of what he’s written over his lifetime and includes some personal history that puts it all in perspective. Unless the reader has read everything Packer has written, this book will be a valuable and insightful tool. In clear concise fashion Storms lays out Packer’s thoughts and beliefs on many, if not all, areas of the Christian life. It behooves us all to read, learn and apply these teachings.

In a world full of books on how to live and enjoy the Christian life, this one stands out. Storms delves deeply into Packer’s writings on numerous subjects extensively. Topics include atonement, holiness, indwelling sin, Holy Spirit, prayer and the will of God to point out a few. Packer, like many of us, began his spiritual journey under false teaching. Through a lifetime of learning and then writing he has shared much with us to correct our own deficiencies. In this work Storms has admirably complied some of the best.

It’s difficult to be precise on what most benefited me. Perhaps the chapters on prayer, suffering, and theocentricity left me both struggling and joyful.  I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to scour the pages and glean the best from Packer. 

The “on the Christian Life” series from Crossway is simply marvelous. If you have not started reading any of these I would suggest doing so now. They are a fascinating look into the lives of many well-known Christians that have blazed the trail for us. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain the valuable knowledge they gained.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.   

Is the church letting you down or are you letting the church down?

It has been often stated that the number one reason people leave the church is due to a feeling that the church failed to meet their needs. - Pastor Brian Moss




Pastor Brian Moss has an excellent post on why people leave a church. His reasons are often true and heart breaking. His second point strikes a chord with me:

There are so many people who join our churches but never invest in relationships. They simply attend services. They treat the church like an IN-N-OUT burger joint – get my food and get out quickly. But sooner or later life happens, and when their world starts coming apart they have no relational safety net. They suddenly expect “the pastor” to “be there for them,” like he’s a spiritual Aladdin. Just rub the lamp and *poof*, there he is! But that’s not even the biblical calling of pastors. According to Ephesians 4:12, pastors are called to equip the members to be the hands and feet of Jesus. God designed the church to be a community of connected Christians, not a collection of customers waiting to be served. We tell our people, “If you join this church, but never develop any friendships here, we promise we will let you down.”

Disconnected people disconnect.

Maybe we should all take some time to consider if we are the problem - are we letting our church down?

You can read the entire post here.


 

Resolve in your heart...

Wise words from Samuel Ward...

My closing request is that you should determine and resolve in your heart not to let one day pass (God helping you by His Spirit), in which you may set aside at least a quarter of an hour one or two times a day to withdraw from all company to seek the strengthening of your faith. That is, that you may, by prayer, reading, and meditation put strength and life into your faith, til you have cheered, revived, and warmed your soul. If you shall observe this faithfully, the strength, feeling, comfort, and fruits of your faith will little by little thrive and grow until you arrive at maturity in Christ. (Taken from Faith, by Samuel Ward, Banner of Truth Trust, page 61.)


O that we may follow Ward's admonition here to live healthy spiritual lives. May we seek God in prayer to this end today.

Like Applying Lipstick on a Pig

A new post from Rev. Scott R. Wright can be found here. Enjoy!

Living the Cruciform Life

Outstanding sermon deliverd by Dr. Nelson Kloosterman of Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Enjoy and be blessed.

New Fundamentalist?

I'd like to draw your attention to Erik's recent post at the Irish Calvinist. He begins it this way, I am not a fundamentalist. At least I don’t think that I am. In fact, I have prided myself on some occasions with my acerbic criticism of those who wear their fundi-wear a little too tight. But here recently, as I look in the mirror and watch some of my friends, I wonder if we are not the ‘new fundamentalists’.

See I am like many of my friends. I am 32 year old pastor. I am a Calvinist and I love the gospel of Christ. I have multiple tattoos and am sketching another right now. I am comfortable wearing my 14 gauge earrings, flat bill, suede Adidas, grunged out jeans. I drink almost exclusively English imported Beer (St. Peter’s and Boddingtons are favorites). I don’t listen to Christian radio and could not tell you the difference between the Newsboys or Casting Crowns (I actually had to google ‘top Christian bands’ to get that info). And on and on the list could go, but you get the idea. I’m one of these guys.

Sounds like a cool dude to me because I'm a 49 year old layman, a Calvinist and I, too, love the gospel of Christ. I have multiple tattoos and I'm always considering several new tat designs. I spend most of my time in black jeans, t-shirts and often where a skull & cross bones bandana to cover my bald head. I imbibe almost exclusively English or Scottish stouts (Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Guinness and McEwans Scotch Ale are my favorites). I do know who the Newsboys and Casting Crowns are but often would rather listen to something heavier such as Decyfer Down or Day of Fire. So, I'm one of these guys, too. I think Erik & I were cut from the same cloth.

Moreover, Erik goes on to point out that some of these preferences often become our own test of orthodoxy. Just like the old fundy's of the non-movie going, non-card playing, white, button down collar, shirt and tie crowd we can now have our own test of Christianity. He goes on to make a crucial point, This is really dangerous. Our moral code (in this case liberties and preferences) becomes the test of our orthodoxy...Maybe this is our preference or perhaps it is our craving...The danger in this type of new fundamentalism is the same as with the old. The glory of Christ gets eclipsed by the glory of self. Our identity slow becomes wrapped up in who we are not rather than who Christ is. This is so true. Am I so busy trying to be "me" that my focus becomes me rather than glorifying Christ? As with all sinful people the answer can always be a resounding "yes." Erik points out that we should always to be preaching the truth to ourselves and he reminds us of 1 Cor. 1:26-31 where we read that we should Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

I invite you to read the whole article here and thanks Erik for making us think through this issue.

It Costs Nothing and is Worth Nothing

There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice - which costs nothing and is worth nothing. - J.C. Ryle

Edwards Resolutions Part 2

This is part 2 of my post on Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions so, as it coincides with the New Year, let’s have at it. Edwards next five are:

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

As I find myself aging I find more things going wrong and I’m ever more conscience of my mortality. And, like many of us, I have a few re-occurring problems which haunt me from time to time. So, I find number 10 jumping off the page at me. God has truly blessed me in this area even when I don’t think so. I often try to remind myself of some of the theologians that have gone before us and their health issues which were legion compared to my own (our own?). Richard Baxter, if I’m not mistaken, had a nagging stomach problem and we’ve all heard or read the stories of John Calvin and his kidney stones. I thank the Lord everyday that we live in a time where pain management is at its best but we all still have our aches and pains and there is some pain that still cannot be circumvented. At these times, let’s remember Edward’s resolution.

A Resolution on the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

The resolutions of Jonathan Edwards can be quite overwhelming. Seventy prescriptions is quite a bit to try to keep up with and or emulate in our own lives. My thought is to look at 5 per week (or month or....) and pick one to make a resolution in our own lives. So, let's begin. Here is the first five:

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Lately, and rightfully so I think, I've been giving thought to making the most of every moment. Even during times of relaxation and rest I endeavor to make use of that time in the most profitable manner.

Read all of the resolutions here.