Saturday, May 23, 2009

Bent forks on burn out


It's difficult to use a fork with a bent tine because it hurts and it's hard to control the food you are trying to eat with it.  Chances are a fork is bent because it was used for something it wasn't designed to be used for.

I thought that was a pretty good metaphor for burn out.

Burn out can also be characterized as what happens when someone's efforts don't seem to matter or people don't notice how they matter.

The folks we are leading in discipleship:

Are they fulfilling their passions and their needs, wants, and desires (of course- within the community's stated expectations of how it is fulfilling God's mission) or are do we have them filling a slot which is slowly bending their tines?

How do they know that their efforts, needs, wants, and desires are recognized, appreciated, and are activating and inspiring others to grow in relationship to one another, Christ, and their needs, wants, and desires placed in them by God?

Or:

Do they seem bent?

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