“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.” – Matthew 11:28-29

Have you been struggling with creativity, ideas to generate income, new products, or just the energy to keep your business running?

You may be experiencing burnout. Burnout simply means you have been doing too much of something that is sapping your energy. You have reached the end of your capacity.

It is interesting that in the thick of the business process, when you are just getting started or are a few years in, it feels like you could do this forever. The thrill is there, the excitement is high, and the energy is palpable. You have it, and your team is feeding off your excitement and vision for the future.

Now, you might be 5 years in or even 25 to 40 years, and you can’t even remember why you ever thought this was a good idea. The excitement and energy of your business have run out, and you feel like there is nothing left. NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?

One thing I can tell you for sure is not to quit. I have seen so many mom-and-pop operations that needed to be in the marketplace just cease to exist. These businesses, when they have hit the wall of capacity, miss out on the true reward—whether monetary or building on the succession of their dream. We in the marketplace also lose out, especially when it is a Christian business. We need Christian family businesses to continue operating as they bring scales and measures to keep pricing and honest service practices available. Otherwise, big business consumes their market, sets unfair pricing, and makes it seem natural to pay unjustified higher prices, lowering our desire to be served as Christian businesses would serve us.

We also lose the opportunity to bring Christ into the marketplace. Did you know that most of Christ’s miracles happened in the marketplace? What does that tell us? We believe that the marketplace is the best place to minister. Your staff, your customers, and your suppliers may never come through the door of a church to find our Lord. But where God has placed you in your business becomes the place where you can show them the love of our Lord. You can have your business be a place that ministers to the lost who are searching for God.

So how do we keep going and not succumb to burnout and exhaustion? First, understand that your business can’t rely on you—and to be honest, it never should have. If your business is all about you, all you have is a job! God never wanted us to be lone rangers in the marketplace. Christian business is part of the body of Christ and needs to act and function as such. Start by committing your business to Christ, make Him the CEO, and run all decisions through Him. Then, find like-minded businesspeople to form a community; there is strength in numbers. Finally, you must take time for yourself—time to rest, reset, and time to sit with God.

Be encouraged!