“Self-care cannot prevent burnout, care for one another can.” (Nagoski & Nagoski, Burnout) Seems like these authors discovered a biblical principle: Move from self-centeredness to other-centeredness.
One simple and effective way to keep burnout in check by being others-centered is to practice deep community between three friends. Here are recommended steps to practice this discipline:
1. Pray for thirty days, asking God to give you names of two individuals whom He’d want you to be in community with.
2. After thirty days, approach the two friends (individually), and share your desire to develop a covenant community, inviting them to participate. (If a person turns down the invitation, go back to prayer. Do not choose such a group without God’s guidance.)
3. Once the community is formed, it covenants to consistent core values of respect, confidentiality, and honesty.
4. The group decides on a day of the week, and time, that’ll work for all, and how they’ll meet (in-person, online, or a hybrid).
5. During the meeting, each listens to what’s been happening in the others’ lives – good, bad, ugly, secretive – the works.
6. Following the sharing, each person prays for one another. (Advice is given only if asked for.)
7. After the meeting, group members pray daily for the others till the next meeting.
These suggestions can be tweaked according to group preferences. What cannot be tweaked are the core values (respect, confidentiality, and honesty). I strongly recommend you try this. Healthy community is one of the most effective tools to keep personal burnout at bay.
—
Jeba Moses
