Have you ever fantasized about quitting your job and becoming a barista?
I have.
Not every day. Not even most days. But enough days over all of my working years in the ministry that I’ve learned something important about myself.
Before the baristas come for me, let me say this…I know it’s hard work. You’re on your feet all day. You deal with demanding customers. You move at a pace that would wear most people out. But when I’m carrying a lot, my mind starts romanticizing the idea. I imagine making coffee after coffee, chatting with customers, perfecting drinks, cleaning up my station, and then going home when my shift is over. And really being home.
No budget meetings.
No staffing decisions.
No difficult conversations.
No personnel issues.
No after-hours calls.
No carrying the emotional weight of other people’s problems.
Just making sure the drinks taste good.
I’ve had a similar fantasy about being a Walmart greeter. Smiling. Saying hello. Handing out shopping carts. Wishing people a good day.
No major decisions.
No crisis management.
No responsibility for an entire team, ministry, department, or organization.
Some days, that sounds amazing.
Of course, I know I’m romanticizing it. Every job has pressure, challenges, and every workplace has difficult people.
What I’m really longing for in those moments isn’t a different career.
It’s relief.
It’s rest.
And that’s when I’ve learned to pay attention.
Because when the barista fantasy starts sounding really good, it’s usually not a sign that I need a new job.
It’s a sign that I might be tired.
The dangerous exhaustion
There a particular kind of exhaustion that is dangerous. It isn’t the kind that comes from staying up too late one night or having a busy week. It is the kind that settles in after carrying a lot for a long time. It is the exhaustion that whispers things to you.
It tells you to quit.
It tells you to walk away.
It tells you that nothing is changing and nothing ever will.
It tells you that everyone else’s life is easier than yours.
It tells you that your work doesn’t matter.
It tells you that you don’t matter.
Weariness is a terrible decision-maker.
When we are physically depleted, emotionally exhausted, spiritually drained, or carrying disappointment for a long season, we do not see clearly. We see through the lens of our fatigue. Things look darker than they are. Problems look bigger than they are. Opportunities look farther away than they are. And hope feels smaller than it actually is.
One of the most important leadership lessons I have learned is this: never make a major decision at your lowest moment.
Don’t quit on a Tuesday because Monday was hard.
Don’t abandon a calling because a season is difficult.
Don’t assume a chapter is over because you’re tired.
Sometimes what we interpret as a sign to leave is actually a sign that we need rest.
God designed us with limits. He never asked us to be machines.
Throughout Scripture, we see people who became weary. Elijah, David and Paul all became weary. Jesus became weary. That’s why he went off to the mountains to pray, to rest, to be alone.
Being tired is not a character flaw and being discouraged does not mean you have failed. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is sleep, pray, take a walk, talk to a trusted friend, and wait before making a life-altering decision.
The answer may still be change or a new direction. But if that is the case, you need to make that decision from a place of clarity, not depletion.
Today I want to give you 3 practical tips…
First, check your body before you check your circumstances.
Have you been getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night? Have you been eating real food? Have you moved your body more than just getting up from your desk to go to the restroom?
Sometimes what feels like a life problem is actually a physical depletion problem. Fix that first, and then revisit the decision.
Borrow perspective from someone you trust.
Exhaustion narrows your vision. Before making a major decision, talk to someone who loves you, tells you the truth, and has no agenda. Choose someone who you know if really for you — someone who always has your best interest in mind. Let them help you see what weariness may be hiding.
Delay irreversible decisions.
When possible, don’t make permanent decisions during temporary seasons of exhaustion.
Give yourself a few days, a week, or even a month to rest, pray, and gain clarity. Most decisions improve with a little space.
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