compassion fatigue

Yoke of Trust

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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30, ESV).

We are familiar with Jesus’ comforting words, and I can imagine we all desire to lighten our burdens and find rest for our souls. As an educator who works with nurses from a variety of patient settings, I hear the nursing burdens: Not enough staff to care for patients; more and more patients who are sicker and sicker; units closing, which displaces or deletes nursing positions; and management changes. In my long career in nursing, these issues have always existed, and most of the nurses I know are accustomed to adapting to each crisis that comes by. 

We also care for patients, manage staff, and educate students whose burdens are heavy and difficult. How can we make the care that the Lord has entrusted to us lighter? Let’s break down Jesus’ promise and find a way to lighten our burdens.

First, we need to recognize that Jesus didn’t say, IF you have burdens. The assumption is we WILL have burdens. One of the barriers to releasing our heavy burdens is the unrealistic idea that our lives should be worry-free and complication-free. It sounds crazy to say it out loud, yet when a problem comes along, we are dismayed. Whether it is an illness, work-related stress, or a family crisis, these are all human experiences. This is true for our patients as well. There will be extended illnesses, surgery complications, and unforeseen diagnoses. Even though the Gospels have multiple accounts of Jesus healing people, there were even more people who weren’t healed. Yet, Jesus brought the Good News to them, which is Himself.

This brings us to our second point of Jesus’ teaching—“Come to Me!” Life’s burdens cannot be lighter if we don’t hand them over to Jesus. Handing them over to Jesus is more than just praying for healing, seeking His wisdom, and trusting Him. It is daily, and many times, frequently saying, “Jesus, I trust in You!” For example, when the fear of complications attempts to overwhelm a patient’s peace, we can direct them to trust in Jesus and let go of the outcome. I know, sounds frightening! Yet, this is how Jesus will make the burdens lighter, giving the present AND the future of our burdens to Him.

If you are feeling burdened by work, personal, family, or life in general, then you are carrying the load, and Jesus is not. Right now, what burden do you have? Write them down. How do they feel? Are they heavy, uncomfortable, stressful, or worrisome? Then you are carrying them. Or maybe there is a patient, student, or staff member whose burden is keeping them anxious and depressed. Help them as well come to Jesus and exchange the yoke of burden for the yoke of trust.

NCFI Cares: Leadership Tips from Joshua

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Nurses around the world are experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue. The demands from the coronavirus pandemic have created a crisis in nursing. Nurses are leaving their units, facilities, and the profession. The results are devastating with a horrendous shortage of nurses to care for patients, teach students, and manage clinics and hospitals. Now more than ever health care and academics needs effective nurse leaders to navigate through these difficult times.

In the book of Joshua there are timeless leadership guidance from the life of Joshua, who was tasked with leading the Israelites into the promised land. The Israelites had spent 40 years in the desert and were only familiar with the nomadic life of desert living. Joshua led them to conquer cities and adjust to a new way of life while following God’s laws—a monumental challenge.

In the next series of devotions, we will explore the amazing leadership of Joshua. To get us started, we will look at what the Lord said to Joshua in preparation for his leadership role. These devotions were previously published in CARES II: Reflections for Nurses.

Big Shoes of Leadership Includes Courage

[The Lord said,] “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not desert you nor abandon you. Be strong and courageous.”

Joshua 1:5-6

Nurses are called into leadership positions and as Christians we should take these opportunities to have a greater influence towards Christ-centered nursing. At the same time, the big shoes of leadership can be daunting and overwhelming, causing many nurses to decline the opportunity.

When Joshua took Moses’ place as Israel’s leader, he had big shoes to fill. For 40 plus years, Moses had been the spokesman for God, the giver of the law, the indwelling presence of I AM, the warrior against Pharaoh’s army, builder of a nation and caregiver of God’s people. He not only directed the building of the tabernacle and guided them to daily sustenance of manna and doves, Moses governed the legal, political, and economic status of a nomadic, rebellious nation.

How could Joshua, Moses’ attendant, step into those huge leadership shoes? Was Joshua frightened, worried, or anxious? Did he doubt his ability to be a leader that Israel would follow? Was he afraid of disappointing the Lord? Was he afraid to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and never witness the fruition of his labors because of disobedience? These were big shoes to fill. Was Joshua ready for the challenge?

We have insight into Joshua’s concerns and his need for assurance from the Lord. The Lord tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” In fact, the exhortation is repeated 3 times. (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9). Today, the Lord speaks to you with the same encouragement: Be strong and courageous. The Lord will be with you, just as He was with Moses, Joshua, and other leaders.

Read: Joshua 1:1-9

Reflect: Have you declined a leadership position due to fear or concern about your abilities? If so, ask the Lord to open your heart to His courage in following His guidance.

Prayer: O’ Lord, I will not be dismayed, nor tremble for You provide me with courage to lead. Amen.

*Previously published in CARES II: Reflections for Nurses. Available as a free pdf on the NCFI website or as a paperback book on Amazon. Learn more about the nurses devotional compilations entitled CARES Reflections for Nurses and CARES II!

NCFI Cares: Divine Nourishment

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“Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” (1 Kings 19:7)

Last time we discussed how we need rest and rejuvenation to recover from spiritual and physical exhaustion.  Elijah not only slept under the broom tree, but he also received nourishment from Heaven. This was no ordinary angel that ministered to Elijah. Biblical scholars teach that the “angel of the Lord” in this passage is the pre-incarnate Christ. The Eternal Word personally provided Elijah with the following divine nourishment. (1)

  • God’s love and grace.
    • Elijah was assured of God’s love and grace even when he tried to run from his presence.
  • God’s abiding presence.
    • In our lowest point of feeling of depression, rejection, and failure, God does not abandon us.
  • God’s strength
    • The meal the Angel of the Lord prepared energized Elijah to travel 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
  • God’s assurance of His plan and our work.
    • God was not done with Elijah and would provide for his next mission.

Yet those who wait for the Lord,

Will gain new strength;

You will mount up with wings like eagles,

You will run and not get tired,

You will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31 personalized with You)

Our divine nourishment is find in the Angel of the Lord/Jesus Christ (Phi 4:19).

(1) The Restoration of Elijah 1 Kings 19:4-18, Keathly III,  J. H. https://bible.org/seriespage/16-restoration-elijah-1-kings-195-18

NCFI Cares: Resting Under the Broom Tree

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And he lay down and slept under a broom tree.

1 Kings 19:5

After Elijah’s depleting work as a prophet, prayer warrior, mentor, and marathon runner, we find him sleeping under a broom tree. Let’s sit with Elijah and reflect on how he became so exhausted.

Even though all Elijah’s activities were directed by God, they had left him spiritually depleted and vulnerable leaving him open to a spiritual attack from the Devil.  Thus, when Jezebel threatened his life, he doubted God’s protection and went running for his life.

We also can become vulnerable in ministry. As we continue to do God’s work in nursing, ministry, universities, and clinics, we risk becoming weary and tired. This is especially true during the Coronavirus pandemic when the stress and workload is extraordinary! In a previous devotion, we discussed the inordinate amount of home, work, and personal stress most of us are experiencing. Like Elijah, we are vulnerable to the Devil’s arrows in his quiver that bring fear, anxiety, depression, and others (Ephesians 6:16)

As we continue to sit with Elijah under the broom tree, we also notice he is alone. Remember, he left his servant back in Beersheba and then traveled all day to collapse in despair under the broom tree. Similar to Elijah, many of us are isolated from our support systems. The shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of covid has caused many of us to be isolated from family, friends, colleagues, and church family.

Many of us are trying to stay connected through online church, What’sApp Bible studies, and virtual prayer meetings; yet they are not the same as in-person connections. We were not made to be alone. God created us to live in community. We need to not only stay in community through technologies; we also need have extra time for prayer, worship, and fellowship. This is a time when we need one another more than ever.

Exhaustion does not mean an end to the Lord’s work. Instead, it means a time to rest, regroup and find nourishment. Take some time to reflect on what has brought you to despair and exhaustion. Are you like Elijah, exhausted from the Lord’s work? Alone in ministry and/or in faith? In the next devotion, we will explore strategies for resting.