Winning the War in Your Mind P6
From Burnt Out to On Fire | Amy Nicholsom | 25 October 2026
Sometimes the most holy thing you can do is have a snack and a nap.
The end of October can feel like the start of a sprint: deadlines, exams, school events, year-end functions, and holiday plans...
We can often push past our own limits, ignoring the signals, by overworking, filling every hour, doomscrolling, comfort eating, or self-medicating.
Ask: How am I really doing?!
Elijah’s story: from fire to fire.
Elijah lives through drought, trauma, a public showdown with the prophets of Baal - calling down fire from heaven. Then there is a threat to his life from Jezebel.
He flees, then leaves his servant behind, walks into the wilderness, and collapses under a broom tree - burnt out and wanting to die.
God meets him where he is at, and then takes him on a long journey of restoration into community and purpose, until eventually he is caught up in a chariot of fire. God takes Elijah to be with Him; he doesn't die!
Elijah went through
Trauma
Spiritual Battles
Physical Exhaustion
Believing lies
Isolation
Elijah was restored through
Physical Rest and Food
Moving toward God on a long journey
Lament - being honest before God
Breaking the lies and replacing with truth
Community
NOTICE what your body and life are telling you.
Notice changes in our sleep, energy, irritation, apathy, sense of connection, spiritual life and relationships. Are we withdrawing from people? Feeling numb? Ignoring the signals our body is sending?
What stories do we tell ourselves: “I don’t deserve rest”; “I can’t ask for help”; “I’m the only one.” Elijah believes he is alone, but God reminds him that there are 7,000 others who have remained faithful! Naming an isolating thought can make room to seek another perspective from someone trustworthy.
To be able to notice what is going on, you have to have margin!
BRING what is happening into the light
Elijah walks to Horeb and tells God what he has experienced. God asks him, “What are you doing here?”nd gives him room to speak honestly.
We don't need to pray perfect prayers, just honest ones.
Lament is a biblical practice. God can handle your honesty!
Choose one safe person and let them know what is happening.
RENEW your thinking and rhythms
Elijah encounters God not in the wind, earthquake or fire, but in a quiet voice.
Make room to hear God over time, rather than demanding an instant answer.
Get the basics right: healthy habits like enough sleep, healthy food, enough water, exercise, Sabbath, prayer, less doomscrolling and saying no to prevent over-scheduling.
LIVE at a more sustainable pace
God gives Elijah a next step and a companion in Elisha. The lie that Elijah is the only one is challenged; his work will not continue in isolation. For us, a more sustainable pace may mean sharing responsibility, setting a boundary, allowing unstructured time, or saying no to one demand so we can say yes to what matters.
Purpose and service can be meaningful, but our worth is not measured by how much we produce. Recovery is not a demand to get “back on fire” as quickly as possible or to return to the same pace.
Choose one change you can make this week.
Scriptures
• 1 Kings 17–19
• 2 Kings 2:1–12
• John 16:33
Life Group Discussion Questions
1. Which part of Elijah’s story stands out to you the most?
2. At the broom tree, Elijah receives food, water, and rest before he is given a next step What does this suggest about responding to someone who is exhausted? What practical help can you offer?
3. Do a P I E S check-in - how are you doing physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and what might God be calling you to pay attention to?
4. Elijah believes he is alone. What lies might you be believing that are flowing into your behaviour? For example, you might believe that you have to say yes to every invitation and thus end up overextending yourself.
Margin is the difference between your capacity and a catastrophe. What do you think about this statement? Where might you need to create some margin?
5. What is one “yes” and one “no” that might help create a more sustainable pace?
Helpful Resources
Steve Robinson— Soul Leadership
This book offers a revolutionary framework called the Soul-Leadership Cycle that transforms unprocessed trauma into leadership strength. It’s not just about surviving—it’s about emerging stronger and wiser through adversity.
Carey Nieuwhof — Leadership Podcast
Leadership expert and author Carey Nieuwhof defines burnout as a state where your passion and motivation suddenly vanish, leaving you feeling emotionally numb, exhausted, and unable to refuel even with rest. He experienced severe burnout 20 years ago after leading a fast-growing church for over a decade using an unsustainable formula of "more people equals more hours". He has written extensively about burnout and recovery and you can find more on his website, here are two links to get you started.
Madz Deyzel— Edify
EDIFY is an organization established by Madz Deyzel in 2019, founder of Grace Counselling, that partners with local churches to offer hope to communities struggling with mental health needs.
Check out these links below for more from Madz:
Dr Andy Yarborough — The Well Clinic
Dr Andy’s free resources include practical tools for emotional awareness, self-leadership and wholistic self-care. Particularly helpful are the Awareness Journal, Emotion and Parts Mapping, Holy Listening, and Rhythms of Wholistic Self-Care and Leadership.
Craig Groeschel
Winning the War in Your Mind — practical help for identifying destructive thought patterns and renewing the mind.
Heal Your Hurting Mind: Biblical Hope for Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, and the Emotions No One Talks About - with Dr Wayne Chappelle — Groeschel shares his own experience of anxiety and burnout alongside practical psychological tools and biblical hope. It is especially relevant to this series because it brings together faith, mental health, and professional wisdom.
Brené Brown
Atlas of the Heart — a helpful guide to understanding and naming our emotions, developing emotional language, and building deeper connections.
Peter Scazzero
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - A helpful guide to integrating emotional maturity with Christian discipleship.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader - Particularly useful for leaders navigating stress, boundaries and sustainable service.
These resources are intended for reflection, growth, and conversation. They are not substitutes for professional counselling, medical care, or crisis support when you need them.
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