When the Fire Grows Dim: A Word to Weary Ministers - Ministry Burnout
- Nick Secula
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
There’s a moment in Elijah’s story that has always stopped me in my tracks. It’s not the fire on Mount Carmel, and it’s not the whirlwind. It’s the scene under the broom tree.
A prophet—faithful, seasoned, battle‑tested—sits down under the weight of exhaustion and prays words no preacher ever wants to admit: “It is enough;
now, O Lord, take away my life” (1 Kings 19:4).
Elijah wasn’t faithless. He wasn’t rebellious. He wasn’t “slipping.”
He was tired. Bone‑tired. Soul‑tired. The kind of tired that comes from carrying the weight of spiritual responsibility longer than your humanity was designed to hold it.
And if you’ve preached for any length of time, you know that broom tree well.
The Quiet Burnout No One Talks About
Ministry burnout rarely announces itself with dramatic collapse. It creeps in quietly:
• When you preach with an empty tank because the needs never slow down.
• When you carry the griefs of the congregation but have nowhere safe to place your own.
• When you’re expected to be available, steady, wise, and unshakable—while your own heart is fraying at the edges.
• When you love the church deeply, but the work slowly begins to hollow you out.
Most ministers don’t quit because they stop loving the Lord.
They quit because they stop having a place to rest.
The Church of Christ has long emphasized the importance of sound doctrine, faithful preaching, and steadfast leadership—and rightly so. But even Paul, the tireless apostle, wrote of being “burdened beyond measure, above strength” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Even he needed Titus to come alongside him and “comfort the downcast” (2 Corinthians 7:6).
If Paul needed support, why do we assume we shouldn’t?
The Ministry Nobody Sees
After more than two decades in ministry, I’ve learned something I wish someone had told me earlier:
You can be fully committed to the work of God and still be deeply worn down by it.
That doesn’t make you weak.
It makes you human.
And God never asked His servants to carry the load alone.
When Elijah lay under that broom tree, God didn’t rebuke him.
He didn’t tell him to “push through.”
He didn’t shame him for being overwhelmed.
He sent an angel with two simple gifts: rest and nourishment.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing a minister can do is admit, “I need help.”
A Safe Place for Those Who Serve
Because I’ve lived this life—and because I’ve sat with other ministers who felt they had nowhere to turn—I’ve devoted part of my counseling practice to being a confidential, biblically grounded place for preachers to breathe again.
Not as a replacement for the church.
Not as a substitute for prayer.
But as a place where a minister can finally lay down the armor and be a man again.
A place to process the wounds that come from shepherding.
A place to regain clarity, strength, and emotional footing.
A place to remember that God cares for the shepherd as much as the flock.
If you’re a minister who feels the fire dimming—or an eldership who wants to proactively care for the man who cares stands in the role—I would be honored to walk alongside you.
Not as a critic,
But as a brother.
Because the work matters.
And so do you.
You can contact me if you want to talk more or learn more about the services I offer:
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