Turning to Scripture to Fight Burnout: Rest and Restoration With Lectio Divina
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
“Just cry for a while—it’s OK.”
Those aren’t the words you might expect to hear from a manager when you … ahem … cry at work. But these are the words my manager—and my friend—told me recently when, yes, I cried at work.
The emotion caught me off guard. Normally, I can keep it together, go with the flow, push through, adapt. The gentle correction she offered didn’t warrant the response I gave, but her words—in combination with so many other things—pushed me over the edge. In that moment, I realized that I’m tired. I’m tired of being flexible. I’m tired of shifting course and “making it work.” As the tears flowed, I became aware of a deep longing for things to be easy, smooth, steady. I longed for true rest and refreshment.
I suspect that many of us feel like this. These past couple years (I know—can we just stop talking about it, already?), we’ve had to muster so much energy and patience and fortitude just to try to gain some ounce of “normalcy.” It’s reasonable to feel worn down.
Holy Wanderlust
And, it’s reasonable to want to get away from it all for a little while. Personally, looking forward to a weekend trip for my sister’s birthday, still months away, is getting me through a lot of the daily grind. Vacations—or even a couple hours to ourselves—can help us feel refreshed. But, too often, the temptation to tune out can turn into negative habits like relentless scrolling and saving, binging and blaming, pitying and procrastinating. Plus, when we try to avoid the struggles of our daily life, we also miss many of its joys, too.
What if, instead of running away from everything, we ran toward something—or someone—to help us recharge and reset? What if, instead of emptying our mind, we filled our spirit with the goodness and truth of who God is—and who we are in relation to him? What if, when we felt haggard and helpless, we turned to the Giver of Life himself? That is, after all, what he himself asks us to do (Matthew 11:28-30).
Living Words
The words of scripture are living and effective. They give us a real opportunity to spend time with the Lord. We can sit with him on the shores of the sea or go to a quiet place with him. We can talk with him or simply just be with him. What a gift!
Lectio Divina, which means “divine reading,” is a method of meditating with scripture while engaging our imagination to more deeply enter into the presence of God. You can learn more about it here or here, but here are the basic steps:
Read: Slowly read through a short passage of scripture, receiving it with an open heart.
Meditate: Reflect quietly on what you just read. Are there any words or phrases that struck you?
Contemplate: Be aware of God’s presence, both with you now and in the scripture passage.
Pray: Respond to and talk with God.
While meditating on a scripture passage, you might imagine what it would be like to be one of the characters, or you might insert yourself into the scene. What do you hear, see, smell, and taste? What do you feel? What is the Lord saying to you? How will you respond?
You can use this method in your morning prayer, at the end of a long day, or in those 15 minutes between meetings. Here are three scripture passages to help you experience the Lord’s restorative love:
1. John 21:1-25—Jesus Appears Again to His Disciples
“Jesus said to them, ‘Come, have breakfast.’ And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they realized it was the Lord.”
2. Mark 6:30-44—Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
“The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.”
3. Mark 5:21-24, 35-43—Jesus heals Jarius’s Daughter
“He took the child by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum,’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’”
A Litany of Rest
Just as the words of scripture are active, the Lord is active in your life. He’s with you right now, even in your weariness and your burnout. He wants to revive and reignite your zest for life and work.
Let us pray that the Lord will infuse us with a spirit of enthusiasm—that he’ll guide us and revive us:
When I am weary, may I lean on you instead of the things of this world.
You are calm in troubled seas.
When my hands are clenched, may I open and offer to you all that I’m clinging to.
You are my burden bearer.
When I fret about the future, my breath reminds me of your care and providence.
You are the breath of life.
When I feel like nothing matters, remind me of who and whose I am.
You are the creator of the universe, and you chose to create me.
Lord, remind me of who you are. And that you are here—now and always.
Tara Wright is an artist, Marine wife, and happy Catholic. By day, Tara creates content for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit force behind the beloved children’s show “Sesame Street.” She is the owner of Tara Wright Studio, where she specializes in custom art and illustration, and is co-founder of Scatter and Sow. After spending several years on the east coast, Tara and her family now call Oklahoma home.