HOLY TOAST – Adrenal Fatigue and the Church
As an itinerant minister, I have the opportunity of meeting people of varying color, creed and country. In the last 10 years, I have found one over arching commonality… exhaustion! Let’s look at the Oxford dictionary’s definition of exhaustion. It is, well…exhaustive!
Exhaustion:
- Tired out, worn out, weary, dead-tired, dog-tired, bone-tired, ready to drop, drained, fatigued, enervated; (informal) beat, done in, all in, bushed, zonked, bagged, knocked out, wiped out, burned out, pooped, tuckered out, tapped out, fried, whipped.
- Exhausted reserves used up, consumed, finished, spent, depleted, empty, drained.
As I was reading this amusing, lengthy definition, it dawned on me that it was merely a list of symptoms, not the root cause. This “old school” term, exhaustion, was missing a prefix that explained everything… adrenal exhaustion!
The adrenal glands are two small glands (about the size of a walnut, weighing less than a grape) that sit atop the kidneys. So, when these tiny glands are depleted by physical or emotional stress, overwork, fear, trauma, etc, the body experiences, chronic fatigue, poor sleep, inability to deal with stress, B vitamin deficiency, difficulty concentrating/brain fog and even food or environmental allergies.
God’s Safety Net
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Recall the story of Elijah, after he had successfully defeated the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. There was a huge display of the power of God. But when Jezebel, who was just one person, threatened to kill him, Elijah panicked and ran. He had just had a high stress situation, and he was depleted of all strength. So, even though he had a victory, his body could not handle any more stress. Consider the possibility that he was undergoing temporary adrenal fatigue! God had to take care of him by a brook and sent birds with food to feed him, until he recovered. You, too, will recover with God’s help! He knows exactly what you need!
Considering the genius of God, I find it amazing that He has left Man, His “crowning achievement,” totally vulnerable to a pair of tiny glands. As with everything our Heavenly Father does, love is the motivator for this vulnerability.
Let me explain; have you ever looked at the back of your office computer, copy machine, printer or flat screen television? There is a tiny little fuse or circuit breaker that protects the machine from damage due to power surges, lightning strikes or polarity issues.
In the same way, our adrenal glands function as a circuit breaker that when depleted, slows the body down before any permanent damage is done.
Christians find this hard to believe, but there is just as much “burn out” within the four walls of the church as there is without. As I mentioned earlier, it is an over arching commonality, truth be told, that the world is full of “quick fried Cretans” and “crunchy Christians.”
It is extremely difficult to get a chronically fatigued unbeliever to listen to you, if you are a chronically fatigued believer. People are looking for answers, not more questions. Lets examine some of the reasons why Christians crumble even though Jesus lives in their heart.
Works
With all the need in the world, it is important that we “stay in our own lane” and be faithful to the work God has given us to do. Remember, just because something is “good” doesn’t mean it is God!
Illusion
When we assume that because we are Christians, our bodies are impervious to overwork, stress, vitamin deficiency and exhaustion.
Remember, our “earth suits” are not glorified bodies, they are simply carriers of His glory.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7
Self-righteousness
We would do well to remember the prophet Elijah’s trip to Horeb. Elijah did not flee to Horeb because God called him, he ran because he was afraid. Elijah was afraid Jezebel would kill him, he also thought he was the only righteous prophet God had left. When Elijah reached Horeb, God asked him a question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah answered,
“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19:14
When God asks you a question, He expects a truthful answer! If you read the whole story, after a powerful demonstration of power (tornado, earthquake, fire and a still, small voice), God tells Elijah He was only in the still small voice.
Then, God gives Elijah another chance to answer His question; “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Sadly, Elijah gives God the same self-righteous answer as before and it spells the end for Elijah’s earthly ministry. God ends the conversation with this statement,
”Yet, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18
Remember, self-righteousness and fear can take you on a perilous journey you were never called to, such as adrenal exhaustion.
The Turning Point
Now, lets find a prescription for our disease.
Isn’t it interesting, as soon as you read disease, all kinds of dreadful conditions filled your mind? Lets fix that!
When the body is not feeling well (out of homeostasis), it is at dis-ease with itself. The word “ease” defined means, “to relax ones efforts.” So, if the prefix, “dis” is added it now means, “not relaxing ones efforts.”
We are called human beings, not human doings, for a reason! God is way more concerned about who we are, than what we do. Striving, pushing, driving is not the way of the Kingdom. Jesus constantly mentioned rest. He is the “Prince of peace,” and He lives in us!
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14: 27
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3
Sometimes the best thing you can do in the middle of a battle is lay down. Psalm 23 was written on a battlefield! David was in the midst of the battle of his life and God made him lie down in green pastures, led him by still waters, and restored his soul, right in the heat of the fight.
If we could just get a glimpse of the enormity of God’s rod and staff, and His unfailing love for us, then we too could lie down. Stop striving and let God fight the battle.
By the way, David was only walking in the shadow of death, not death, but only a shadow. Compared to death itself, a shadow is a little thing.
By nature, humans tend to be overly dramatic and fixated on big things. Jesus continually draws our attention to little things, a mustard seed, the tongue, the little foxes and of course, a child.
In God’s economy, little is big. In man’s economy, bigger is better and small is often ignored. Jesus was an advocate of downward mobility, with the servant being the master of all.
The purpose of this article is to bring awareness to the little stressful things that you may have overlooked that possess more power than you had realized. In the natural, your tiny adrenal glands will shut your fatigued body down if you don’t learn to nurture them and live in peace. Sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Start Low and Go Slow
Here are some practical tips that have miraculously helped people overcome adrenal exhaustion.
- Take a Sabbath day: Take one day for yourself a week and turn off computers, cell phones, televisions and needy friends!
- Find a good B vitamin supplement (food based) at your local health food store. Make sure the supplement is high in B-12 and folic acid.
- The adrenal glands love licorice! Many have reported amazing results using pure licorice root extract.
Spiritual Steps To Healing
Finally, if I may offer a little spiritual advice:
- Identify the “little things” that are causing big problems. If your ministry becomes more important than your family, re-evaluate your motives for being a minister.
- If you have truly “given” your life to Jesus, than start trusting Him with it. It is His life now.
- Meditate on this scripture until you have an “Aha” moment.“His divine power has given [past tense] us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3
- Realize that God is the center of everything, not you, in case you started to believe your own press and enjoy the accolades of others.
- When exhaustion rears its hideous head, read the psalms! They are the “Gos-pills” for what ails the weary soul.
- Rediscover your reason for being. Worship the Lord and walk with Him in the cool of the day.
- Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything.
It is my prayer that this article will bring life and healing to you right where you are.
You are God’s crowning achievement. Take time to laugh, love and listen. If you do, you find out that it is much better to be an “on fire” Christian, than merely a burnt offering!
How has God helped you through stressful situations?
Comment below to be the encouragement someone needs.
Michael Tyrrell, www.michaeltyrrell.com is the founder of the Network Center Inc., a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2001 which works as an advisory agency to local churches, faith-based ministries, Para-church ministries, schools, home fellowships and music ministries in connection with their outreach ministries or missions based activities. Michael has been committed to training their key leaders and members to deliver the message of their Christian faith in order to reach the lost, the disenfranchised, the sick and the hurting through the organic roots of the Christian faith and other areas as needs arise. Michael has been in full time ministry for the last 27 years and is a writerhttp://michaeltyrrell.wordpress.com music producer and well known musician.
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