There is a quiet shame that creeps in when we are exhausted for too long. Especially for people of faith. Especially for neurodivergent professionals who are used to pushing through sensory overload, executive functioning fatigue, masking, and constant problem-solving.

We tell ourselves: If my faith were stronger, I wouldn’t feel this tired. But Scripture tells a very different story. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah, fresh off a miraculous victory, collapses under a broom tree and asks God to let him die.

“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:4, NIV)

This wasn’t a weak prophet. This was a faithful one. And God’s response is striking. He doesn’t correct Elijah. He doesn’t preach at him. He doesn’t tell him to pray harder.

God lets him sleep.
Then He feeds him.
Then He lets him sleep again.

Only after rest does God speak.

That matters.

Burnout, especially for neurodivergent professionals, is not a sign of spiritual failure. It is often the result of long-term overextension in systems that were never designed with our brains in mind. Constant self-monitoring. Emotional labor. Hyperfocus without recovery. Being “the reliable one” while quietly running on fumes.

Rest is not quitting.
Rest is obedience.

Jesus Himself modeled this rhythm:

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)

Still, many of us resist rest because it feels unsafe. Productivity has become a kind of worthiness metric. Even our faith communities sometimes reward overgiving more than sustainability.

That’s where I think of Kendrick Lamar’s “Be Alright.” The song doesn’t deny struggle. It names it. Anxiety. Pressure. Survival. And still, the refrain insists: “We gon’ be alright.” Not because things are easy, but because endurance doesn’t require denial.

Faith works the same way.

Burnout doesn’t mean you’ve failed God. It may mean God is inviting you under the broom tree.

To eat.
To sleep.
To stop explaining yourself.

Psalm 127:2 reminds us:

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat. For he grants sleep to those he loves.”

If you are tired, deeply tired, let that be information, not condemnation. God meets His people in rest just as faithfully as He meets them in action.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is lie down and trust that God is still at work.

Copyright © 2026 by Edna Brown. All Rights Reserved.