Fighting Fire

Christopher Ash shares an analogy of a firefighter to depict burnout: “Obviously you have to push yourself physically when fighting a fire. It’s a stretching experience that is uncomfortable and physically difficult… It’s foolishness to ignore your limitations, try to be the hero, and cramp up, pass out, or have a heart attack while in a burning structure because you’re beyond the limits of what God has supplied you with the capability of doing. It’s a form of heroic suicide that is counterproductive because you’re now no longer effective in fighting fire and the resources that were dedicated to fighting fire are now dedicated to saving you” (Christopher Ash, Zeal without Burnout, quoted in Cheryl McGrath, “Burnout in Christian Culture,” Christian Today, accessed October 5, 2021, https://www.christiantoday.com.au/news/burnout-in-christian-culture.html).