Faith & Finance - From Burnout to Biblical Rest with Carey Nieuwhof
Are you living at your best—or simply getting by? For many believers, chronic exhaustion has become a quiet norm. Yet Scripture reminds us that burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a warning light. When life feels out of balance, it may be a sign we’re pushing beyond the limits God lovingly designed for our good.Today, we sat down with Carey Nieuwhof—pastor, bestselling author of At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor, leadership expert, and host of the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, as well as the founding pastor of Connexus Church—to talk about how Christians can pursue biblical rest and renewed purpose. Carey’s insights come not from theory, but from the deepest valley of personal experience.When Success Masks ExhaustionCarey’s story began two decades ago, during a season of explosive ministry growth. His church was thriving, opportunities were multiplying, and by every outward measure, life was “on top.” But amid this success, his inner world was collapsing.After returning from a high-profile speaking event, Carey hit a wall:“It was like I fell off a cliff. I lost motivation, passion, and energy. I met all the symptoms of clinical depression. My body declared a finish line I had refused to acknowledge.”People around him saw the signs. He didn’t. And that’s often the story behind burnout—others notice the warning lights long before we do.Carey describes burnout as “the gap between what you’re capable of and what you’re carrying.” Early in ministry, he assumed that increasing responsibility meant increasing hours. It was an unsustainable equation.Yet today, two decades later, he leads a much larger platform with far more influence—without living exhausted. Why? Because he restructured his life around a biblical rhythm of rest, limits, and intentional focus.Managing Energy, Not Just TimeMany Christians feel that bett
