Have you ever had the experience pushing something beyond its limits? Maybe you broke some tool because you applied too much force. Maybe it's that pesky check engine light in your car and the subsequent repair bill was bigger because you let it go too long. Maybe it’s your health and wellbeing.
We are not infinite creatures (though we certainly try to act like it at times). Somehow, we think that with just a little more time and effort we can do one more thing. But the reality is, we are limited, and we live in a world full of limits. There is only so much time in a day. We only have so many resources. We only get one shot at life. And we only have so much physical capacity.
Faced with the pressure to be more productive, accomplish more and be more, we look for ways to improve productivity. We get up earlier. We stay up later. We engineer mechanisms that promise to help. From the lightbulb to the iPhone, we are looking for new and greater ways to push past limits, multitask, cognitively offload, and ultimately break through the glass ceiling of our limits.
But, when we try to act beyond our limits, something gets compromised. We chronically get up early or stay up late compromising much needed rest. We stay late at work sacrificing time with family. Hurried time leads to poor physical fitness and nutrition. In the end, this false infinite mentality leaves us tired, unhappy, and out of touch with the things that really matter. It's no wonder we breakdown. We are ignoring our own check engine light.
In this book, David Murray discusses the idea living a "Grace-paced life." Our collective addiction to a frenetic lifestyle has led to a culture of burnout that leaves us exhausted, unfulfilled, and (in his case) physically broken. We were not designed to live this way.
Murray describes burnout (particularly in the context of pastoral ministry) and identifies warning signs in our physical, mental, emotional, relational, vocational, moral, and spiritual lives. He then proceeds to build a theology of a well-balanced life and provide a path forward from burnout to recovery.
Personally, I found this book to be an immense breath of fresh air in my own experience of burnout and quest to find physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. It is a book that is deeply based in theology, but it is also filled with very practical applications. I particularly appreciated that he understood the dichotomy between the spiritual AND physical aspects of our existence. He describes how one affects the other. And he emphasizes and the importance of both in living well. So, whether you are a pastor, physician, or parent, you will find much here to benefit your body and refresh your soul.
Side note: This particular book was written specifically for men; providing perspectives and applications that are geared for men. David Murray and his wife Shona wrote a companion book specifically for women entitled Refresh.
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