Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Burn-out Test


Burning out is a hazard in ministry, especially people involved in pastoral, counselling and social work. Our whole world can crash if we don't watch out for the signs. Here's a test. Hope it helps you to recognise your emotional fatigue.


For each of the question below, rate 1 to 5.
1 = Definite no
5 = Definite yes.
Put a number for each question and add up the total at the end.

1. I seem to be working harder but accomplishing less.
2. I dread going to work each day.
3. I seem to have less physical energy than before.
4. Things irritate me that in the past didn’t bother me.
5. More and more I find myself trying to avoid people.
6. I seem to be getting more short-tempered.
7. I am having a harder time concentrating.
8. More and more I find myself not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.
9. I am starting to lose confidence in my abilities.
10. I am finding it harder and harder to concentrate on my work.
11. It is getting harder for me to take risks.
12. I am becoming more dissatisfied with my accomplishment.
13. Lately I have started blaming God for my situation.
14. Someday I just want to run away from everything.
15. I care less and less if my work ever gets done or not.
16. It seems that everything is staying the same or getting worse.
17. It seems that everything I try to do takes more energy than I have.
18. I am finding it hard to do even simple and routine tasks.
19. I wish people would just leave me alone.
20. I am frustrated with the changes I see in myself.

0 – 30 points = You are in no danger of burn-out.
31 – 45 points = You are developing some of the symptoms of burn-out.
46 – 60 points = You are probably starting to burn-out. 
61 – 75 points = You are definitely in the burn-out process.
Over 75 points = You are in the advanced stages of burn-out.

Each of the questions above reveal one of the following symptoms.

1. Sense of restlessness - loss of inner peace
2. Sense of compulsion - loss of moderation
3. Sense of irritation - loss of self-control
4. Sense of isolation - loss of interest
5. Sense of boredom - loss of challenge

I will share with you some pointers in another post how to deal with them. Interestingly, my score is 26, even at 19 years of ministry as a pastor. I attribute this to the grace of God!



Friday, October 5, 2012

Redefining Friendships

The social media world has been quite amazing! I received my birthday wishes via facebook, twitter, WhatsApp, SMS, email and of course the good old voice calls and birthday cards. It's quite a convoluted experience with well wishes coming from all directions.

Smoke signals and morse codes were amazing inventions then. I wonder what the future hold after all these? Maybe the body becomes one big super antenna and with communication biochips embedded into our bodies, we may never ever need to carry our mobile phones with us any longer because we are the communication tool itself.


I wonder how much social media has redefined the notion of friendship. For sure we are in touch more than ever before but are we a mile wide but an inch deep in building our friendships? How many of those we are constantly in touch with (again a redefining of the phrase "keep in touch") are friends we can call at 4 am when we are in dire need? I was asked this question last week, "What is the single biggest worry/fear/problem that people have?" Without hesitation I replied: "Whether they are loved and accepted for who they are."

Read these amazing quotes:

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” 
― Henri J.M. NouwenThe Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey


“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” ― C.S. LewisThe Four Loves

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” ― Elbert Hubbard


“Silence make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying, but the never needing to say that counts.” ― Margaret Lee Runbeck

“The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.” ― Bette Midler

These are great thoughts that will re-align our definition to what friendship is all about. The number of friends and followers on facebook and twitter is an indication of width. Those you can call at 4 am is an indication of depth.

I know for sure I have at least one. My best friend, who happens to also be my darling wife! :) I can call on her anytime, anywhere!


Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.