"How did I get here?"
These are the words of many Christian men on the brink of burnout or in the midst of breakdown. They are exhausted, depressed, anxious, stressed, and joyless. Their time is spent doing many good things, but their pace is unsustainable—lacking the rest, readjustment, and recalibration everyone needs on a regular basis.
But there is good news: God has graciously provided a way for men to reset their lives at a more sustainable pace. Drawing on his own experiences—and time spent with other men who have also experienced burnout—pastor David Murray offers weary men hope for the future, helping them identify the warning signs of burnout and offering practical strategies for developing patterns that help them live a grace-paced life and reach the finish line with their joy intact.
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“The simple truth is this: I needed this book right now! There
are truths in this volume—pastoral insights and healing
counsels—that speak to me in very personal and tender ways.
Occasionally, Murray’s point is so clear—far too clear—that it
feels as though I have gotten a slap in the face. But
always—always—the point has been to drive me to Christ and to drive
me to the embrace of the gospel. This is medicine for the soul in
the best possible sense, and I am grateful to the author for
writing it. It really does feel as though he wrote it for
me.”
—Derek W. H. Thomas, Senior Minister, First
Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina; Teaching Fellow,
Ligonier Ministries; Chancellor’s Professor, Reformed Theological
Seminary
“This is so timely. After you read it, you will sleep better,
for starters. Then you will be taken to the meeting place of
essential theology and the details of all things related to our
stressed lives, where David offers wisdom on every page. The book
is perfect for men’s groups.”
—Ed Welch, Counselor and Faculty Member,
Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation
“For far too long, whether consciously or subconsciously, we
Christians have bought into the platonic lie that the spirit
matters, but the body does not. As a result, we have neglected, and
perhaps even abused, our bodies. It’s no wonder we struggle with
food, sleep, and health—both physical and mental. In Reset,
David Murray returns us to a biblical anthropology, providing us
with a biblical and theological framework by which we may reorder
our lives as whole persons—body and spirit—for God’s glory, our
well-being, and the service of others.”
—Juan R. Sanchez, Senior Pastor, High Pointe
Baptist Church, Austin, Texas; author, The Leadership
Formula
“From a vast reservoir of personal experience, authenticating
social research, and timeless theological wisdom, David Murray
shines illuminating light on the dark perils of pastoral burnout.
He also offers practical guidance for how the easy yoke of
apprenticeship with Jesus makes possible the grace-paced life that
leads to personal and vocational wholeness. I highly recommend this
needed approach.”
—Tom Nelson, Senior Pastor, Christ Community
Church, Kansas City; President, Made to Flourish; author, Work
Matters and The Economics of Neighborly Love
“Men, this wise book is like a personal coach for your daily
life. The one who writes it understands what it is to be a man with
a man’s cares and a man's dreams. He cares deeply about the
masculine body and soul that God has given you. You were made with
large purpose. David Murray wants to help you learn how to
practically take stock of your life, recover your purpose, and live
it!”
—Zack Eswine, Lead Pastor, Riverside Church,
Webster Groves, Missouri; author, The Imperfect Pastor
“Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture,
like its author, David Murray, is full of surprises. While
statistics and sociologists jostle for space alongside Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory and a kilted haggis, everything is
set within a robust biblical anthropology and a well-grounded
pastoral psychology. The whole is laced with a fine touch of
self-deprecating Scottish humor. Dr. Murray is Jeremiah-like in the
rigor and love with which he seeks 'to pluck up and break down . .
. to build and to plant.' But he is also Jesus-like in the way he
employs the deconstructing and reconstructing grace of the gospel.
Here is a book full of practical, spiritual wisdom and a must
read.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Chancellor’s Professor of
Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary; Teaching
Fellow, Ligonier Ministries
“You hold in your hand what is quite possibly the most
culturally relevant book for pastors I have ever read. Contained in
this book is the answer to the epidemic among both pastors and
hardworking Christian men who are physically, emotionally, and
spiritually collapsing because of the lightning-fast pace our
modern culture demands. Murray lays out a thoroughly biblical,
immensely practical plan for any Christian man looking to take back
his life from the enslavement of his schedule. Murray’s beautiful
personal testimony of his own need to reset is worth the book
alone. This book will be required reading for every pastor I
know.”
—Brian Croft, Senior Pastor, Auburndale Baptist
Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Founder, Practical Shepherding
“In Reset, David Murray pries our fingers from the death
grip we have on the idol of activity. Since I am a confessed
workaholic, this book was right on time for me. I quickly
implemented the strategies outlined in this book, and experienced
immediate results in terms of relief, rest, and peace. Relentlessly
honest, refreshingly concise, and eminently practical, this book
may literally save your marriage, your ministry, and your health. I
see myself revisiting Reset every time I need to be reminded
of the grace of both work and rest.”
—Jemar Tisby, Cofounder and President, Reformed
African American Network; Cohost, Pass the Mic