There is a difference between man and machine. One does repetitive work well but not the other. There is also one similarity: Both suffer from fatigue over time, albeit in different ways. In fact, while doing good works is noble and great, without rest and renewal, people do get jaded. It is only human. For Christians, it is a calling to do good and to live out the purposes of God as stated in Ephesians 2:10. Perhaps, the key is not in non-stop discharging of ourselves but a healthy rhythm of rest, work, and play. This rhythm is not some cyclical pattern that goes nowhere. It has to be guided toward growth in Christ. That's the key thesis in this book. In other words, the main reason why people are worn out is simply because they have gotten further from the Source of all strength and good deeds: God. For author Ron Moore, this book began as a series of sermons preached at his Church for over 25 years. He calls it "being in Ziglag," a phrase that captures the essence of being lonely and worn out in the wilderness of work. Moreover, a majority of Christians have stalled in their spiritual walk at some point in their lives. How do we deal with it? How can we prepare for it when it comes?


Author Ron Moore uses a framework of three kinds of "running" with regard to spiritual fatigue. First, we can press on and and keep running hard. This is perhaps the main focus of this book, as described in the title itself. There are those who serve faithfully but often unappreciated. Many struggle under a cloud of unhealthy expectations, both inner and outer. Many also become discouraged when their efforts do not reap dividends despite the time invested. Under such a depressing mood, it is tempting to run away from it all. Some well-intentioned people decided to take a break but never came back. There is a strong tendency toward self-pity and inner justification for giving up. Doing that brings one into enemy territory. Thankfully, Moore provides a third way, that is, to run toward home. He spends quite a lot of time on this recovery process, which I think is sorely needed. Learn to see crisis as grace. How? One example is transition. Whenever there is a leadership transition, especially when most people liked the retiring pastor, a part of the congregation "retire" as well. The next pastor to take over would have to fill the very large shoes of his predecessor. Instead of seeing ourselves as the center of change and self-importance, learn to let God work His way without us. Crisis may very well be moments in which God is calling us back to Him alone. God's discipline is always one of love and constructive correction. Rely on God's strength. Let God recover us and save us from ourselves.

At the root of it all is the need to discover one's identity that is anchored on being secure in Christ. If we see spiritual fatigue as opportunities to spring toward God, it is a blessing. Otherwise, we may tend to find help in all the wrong places. Discouragement is part and parcel of doing ministry. After all, the Church is imperfect; people are no saints; and the scope of work is relentless. There are never enough people to do the work. Even the few people who are willing will need rest from time to time. What happens when the work is needed but the workers are all stressed out? Work as a team. Take time to help one another rest. Most importantly, let there be joy in service. This is one of the most important motivations for ministry. If there is no joy, there is no way one could ever run the marathon of ministry. Moore has helpfully identified the sources of discouragement and spiritual fatigue. I nod my head about the demands of service, the pressure of expectations, and the reality of disappointments. He is spot on when showing us that the way toward spiritual recovery is to get back to God, just like Jesus. Sadly, many ministry people don't practice that enough. It is time to call the faithful servant back to God, before they clamor for others to do the same. Let their relationship with God lead the way they serve.

Ron Moore is President and Bible Teacher at Back to the Bible ministries, based in Nebraska. He had served as senior pastor of The Bible Chapel for 25 years. He received his Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

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This book has been provided courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

As pastor of a large multi-campus church, Ron Moore has seen and experienced his share of spiritual burnout. In Worn Out by Obedience: Recovering from Spiritual Fatigue, Moore offers hope to those of us who are tired and weary. Much of the book is guided by David's experience in Ziklag. A self-imposed exile, during this time he was far from God, listening to his own counsel, and stagnating in his own poor decisions.

Sometimes we feel like this: "I feel that God has left me alone. Therefore, my inclination is to find a place away from God." Like David, we self counsel (never a good idea). We "lost a sense of intimacy with God and became indifferent toward spiritual things." We "surrendered to sin--and settled for a life of disobedience, disconnected from God." We "no longer fight the tempation" but "embrace the sin."

This state of spiritual being could be due to flagrant rebellion. But for many Christians, it comes as a result of weariness from service, even in a life of consistent obedience and faithful Christ following. As Charles Swindoll wrote, "Most (yes, most) Christians . . . have very little dynamic and joy in their lives." Moore shares many presonal stories from Christians who have faced these feelings.

His diagnosis is spot on, and his remedies are welcome. The decision is our own to leave Ziklag, and the Holy Spirit offers us power to do so. David himself provides "five steps of true repentence" that we can follow as a path out of Ziklag. Even better, Moore writes about staying out of Ziklag in the frst place.

Most important of all, Moore reminds us that even when "the internal disappointment and external performance . . . wear[s] us down," we can remember that "our identity is in Jesus." Once we are his, we are his forever. Even knowing and accepting this, I wish Moore would have spent more time on that disappointment Christians experience, that lack of "dynamic and joy." Why does it seem so elusive?

I would be surprised if you read this book as a Christian and didn't find some resonance with Moore's exposition. I certainly saw myself in Ziklag and appreciate his pointing the direction out.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I have just stepped away from ministry because I was becoming bitter. I love ministry and I love the church, but it was just too much for me, so I reluctantly stepped away. As soon as I did, I felt a part of me died and I was so needing encouragement. I see this book, read the description and thought, could this be helpful. Well, it was beyond helpful, it was like a life-saver tossed at me drowning in a sea of sadness. What a great resource to walk through David in some of his most painful seasons and how the Lord continue to move him toward becoming a great king. One of the themes that stood out to me through this was, "God does not waste our pain, our fears. our years....He is always doing a work in us that we can't see." David had to be overwhelmed at times, but he stayed faithful to the Lord, but more importantly, the Lord was faithful to David and in the end, David turned to the Lord for strength. What a testimony. What a great book. I am all over this book as soon as it comes out. Thank you for this rich resource.

In Worn Out by Obedience, Ron Moore writes, “Spiritual fatigue is not a character flaw or a condition reserved for the immature or weak Christian.” He argued that Christians are often burned out because of their service, expectations, and disappointments. And this is dangerous but God’s grace is the answer. But Ron Moore forgot about people like Paul, who were worn out because God promised them exactly that.

The experiences of King David are related to our struggles following Christ today, particularly when we get worn out by service, expectations or disappointment. As a priest and medical doctor I would have liked an acknowledgement somewhere that people also feel worn out for physical reasons (low thyroid, anaemia etc) and mental health reasons eg depression (Yes Christians do get depressed too, no its not a sign of lack of faith). King David runs away to the town of Ziklag, which is used here as a metaphor for all the ways we attempt to run away from God. Finally the author talks about returning from exile, the way home from Ziklag.

This reads as a collection of sermons from an American evangelical author. The writing style is clear and accessible. There is much repetition, and the reader is assumed to be American, making the terminology and examples less accessible for a British reader. I found some of the examples of people who had returned from Ziklag empty and unsatisfying since they had been shorn of all detail to explain why they ran away and the real challenges of coming home. I had hoped for some theological reflection on the vast psychology literature on burnout, that is not this book- there was no reference to any sources of wisdom outside the bible and American evangelical life.
Overall I shall remember the example of David in Ziklag and perhaps use it in a sermon, but not a whole sermon series.