When God Meets You in Burnout
Find Real Renewal in Elijah’s breakdown
When you’re overwhelmed, even small tasks feel like too much. You cancel plans, snap at people you love, and tell yourself, “I just need a nap.” But what if rest isn’t the end goal—what if it’s a starting point?
In this powerful moment from her interview, bestselling author Becky Thompson shares how the story of Elijah reframed her understanding of rest, burnout, and what God really offers when we’re at the end of ourselves.
Sometimes what we think we need—a nap, a break, a breath—isn’t actually the deepest thing we need. Becky Thompson points us to Elijah to show us why.
“Elijah had just overcome this massive defeat of the enemy. He’s victorious… all of the prophets of Baal are seized and killed. He’s accomplished what hasn’t been able to be accomplished in a very long time.”
But even after that spiritual high, Elijah runs for his life. And then, in despair, he collapses under a tree and begs God to take his life.
“And knowing that he’s made this wicked queen and her husband very angry, he runs for his life despite seeing the Lord move in this wildly miraculous way. And I always feel like that says, if you need to run back, it’s cool. It’s fine. Elijah did it.”
God doesn’t respond with rebuke. He responds with provision.
“He runs as far and as fast as he can. And ultimately he sits down underneath a broom tree and he prays that he could die. And to me, it’s like, how could he miss it?”
And yet—don’t we all?
“He has this really hard experience, sits under this tree, and the Lord doesn’t answer his prayer. The Lord gives him what the Lord knows he needs, not what Elijah actually wants.”
Becky breaks it down beautifully. “And what the Lord knows he needs is food, water, a good nap, and an invitation to meet with Him.”
That gentle sequence becomes Elijah’s preparation.
“So he falls asleep and when he wakes up, there’s an angel with hot baked bread, fresh water… and Elijah wakes up, and he eats, and he drinks, and he goes back to sleep.”
This divine rhythm of rest refreshes Elijah, and strengthens him for the next step.
“And this time he is given this invitation to go and meet with the Lord on the mountain of God. And scripture tells us that that meal lasted him the entire journey.”
And the real goal was renewed connection.
“What we actually need is the strength that those things provide us on our journey to meet with the Lord.” It’s a powerful message for anyone who’s ever said, “I just need a nap,” and found themselves still empty afterward.
Becky continues, “If your soul isn’t at rest in the Lord—re-centered on who He is, and who He says you are—then there isn’t a nap long enough. There isn’t a healthy eating plan long enough. There isn’t an exercise plan good enough that can restore what only the presence of God can.”
When exhaustion runs deeper than sleep, like Elijah, we may find that the most holy thing we can do is stop long enough to be strengthened, so we can hear the gentle whisper of a God who’s never left. That’s renewal.
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