Article May 20, 1991 Issue

Divine energies cancel burnout

Busy times often bring a variety of added tasks. But the real demand is always the same—to rely more on God.

William Walton Saunders

Recently I saw a reading list of a dozen books on the subject of stress, all addressed specifically to musicians! Multiply that by all the occupations that exist, and you could fill a small library. As a musician I've noticed with sadness comments by prominent musicians, saying that they felt "burned out"—that they had, so to speak, reached the end of their rope.

Do we have to accept feelings of exhaustion and frustration as inevitable? Or do we have a choice? Christian Science teaches that we are, in fact, entitled to express energy, vitality, and joy. Choosing to do so may involve a new way of thinking about ourselves, but it's a way that is based solidly on the Bible's teachings and has made a practical difference in thousands upon thousands of lives. This new way of thinking about ourselves starts from a simple but profound premise: God truly is all-powerful, infinite good, and He created His offspring to be like Him; so man is actually spiritual and complete, not material and limited. This means that man possesses all good from God and reflects God's qualities.

Then, who or what is it that feels tired, overworked, apathetic? In the most basic sense, it is a counterfeit of God's man—it is our mistaken impression that we must rely on limited physical resources. But if the premise is correct that man is actually spiritual and therefore has the resources God gives, we have the right to resist the persistent feeling that we are material and have sprung from a long line of mortal ancestors. This is a vital point, since conventional wisdom traces the symptoms of stress all the way back to the cave men! Above and beyond any conventional opinion, however, is the actuality of life created and sustained by God. As God's children, we reflect vigor, freedom, and dominion; and whatever reflects God isn't limited. We live under God's laws, in His kingdom. We don't govern; God does.

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