John 15:5, Berean Standard Bible

“I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.”

I have heard many people express concern about burning out from serving the Lord. Somehow, I do not really feel settled with this term. I do agree that our bodies and minds will become tired, and we need breaks and rest, as well as refreshing for our souls. Yet when we talk about the need for rest, it is different from when the weight reaches the level of burnout.

What is the difference between them? First, I want to share with you what the Lord said:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4,

“Abide” can also be understood as “remain.” A direct understanding of “Abide in Me” is this: do not be set apart from Me. If you are set apart from Me, then you cannot bear fruit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which begins with the fruit of love. The branches come alive and live alive by abiding in the Vine in order to bear fruit. The Vine is love, and so whoever claims to be a branch of the Vine must come alive and live in love.

That is why the Word states in 1 Corinthians 13 that if we can speak even with the tongues of angels, fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, have faith that can move mountains, give all we possess to the poor, and give over our bodies to hardship, we are still nothing, mean nothing, and gain nothing without love.

Therefore, our serving should begin with love, and our serving should not be set apart from Him. Once that understanding settles firmly, then we should recognize that our serving for the Lord should not be measured by the work we do or focused on the end result that can be seen. Instead, it is about the walk we have with Christ along the way, the process.

It is the relationship between the Good Shepherd and His sheep, the Bridegroom and His bride, Him and His friend. It is a trusting, loving, and friendly relationship. If serving is about relationship with Christ and not only about the work or the outcome, the fire should not burn out; instead, it should be intensified.

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.’ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’” (Exodus 3:2-4, NIV)

Why was the bush on fire, yet it did not burn up? Because the Lord was within the bush. The Lord is the reason! Whoever abides in Him, the fire of love, passion, and compassion will never burn up, but the fruit will begin to bear and grow.

The fruit that comes from the Vine has the seed of love. This strengthens us, enhances us, and grows us, but it will never take us to burnout.

So, the question I leave with you is this: why do you do what you do? What is your motivation and focus in serving the Lord?