Don’t you wish we had some kind of meters we could look at that tell us “Your energy level is down to minus ten. Take a break!” Or “You are at the end of your emotional meter—you’re going to start saying and doing things you will regret. Get some rest.” Or “You’ve been working too long at this, and you’re out of new ideas; your creativity meter is below zero. Give it a break!” Maybe then we’d stop trying to do everything, be everything others want us to be, and please everybody!  
The truth is, we do have very good guidelines—meters if you wish—to give us this information. We have to make the right choices that keep us from going into overdrive, into burnout. We have to learn how to keep ourselves replenished! And those guidelines are found in God’s Word—in his truth. 
As long as we keep our meters where they should be, we’re able to give of ourselves to others, to do what we have to do, to meet needs and expectations. But when the wells start to run dry and we try to take water out of a dry well, we are fast entering burn-out territory, and our effectiveness in all we do suffers greatly! 
I’m beginning to realize I need to check my meters frequently, because I tend to push myself too much. God has given me a strong body and a high energy level. There are so many needs I see all around me, and I want to be involved and make a difference. I often come up with new ideas as to what could be done. But I have to learn that if I want to be effective in the long-haul, to be running smoothly next year, and the next and the next, I have to make certain I don’t run down the engine this year. 
An article I read puts it so well. In essence, it says that at some point, we have to accept that our to-do list won’t get finished today, and that’s ok. It’ll still be there tomorrow. Choosing to protect your health matters more than pushing through years of nonstop, exhausting busyness. 
That’s smart thinking. How can you and I be certain we are doing today the things that will enable us to run the entire race and not burn out? Well, I think we need to learn how to read our meters, know when they’re running low, and know what we have to do to re-supply them. I have put together what you might call a Check-up Form, asking myself probing questions to help me read my physical, emotional, and spiritual meters.  
I’d like to share that with you, as you may find it helpful. First, ask yourself:  
How is your physical meter doing? 
We’re made up of body, soul, and spirit, and each has an effect on the other. So, if my physical body is running at less than optimum, that will affect my spiritual and emotional condition quite dramatically.   
Here are some key areas to check on your physical meter: 
Am I getting enough rest?  
Sleep deprivation can cause the blahs. Some symptoms of sleep deprivation are falling asleep in the middle of the day while sitting at your desk. Or finding it almost impossible to keep your eyes open at a meeting or at church.  
When you go long periods with less than adequate sleep, your body may adjust and you keep going, but eventually it catches up, and you find yourself living in sleep deprivation mode. That takes more than one night’s good sleep to replenish. They tell us we need seven to eight hours of sleep at least four nights a week. Are you getting that? 
What are my eating patterns and habits?  
If you always eat on the go, lots of fast-food meals, skip meals often, go without breakfast regularly, or have an unbalanced diet, you’re bound to be harming yourself physically. You may not think of it this way, but your eating habits are a spiritual matter, and if you know you should eat differently and don’t, that’s not just a bad habit, that’s sinful. We’re quick to denounce drug and alcohol as harmful and sinful to our bodies, but poor eating habits are equally bad.  
I find it easy to rebel in this area. God has to continue to convict me that what I put in my body is important to my service for him, and I’m going to be accountable for that. Maybe you need to get serious about eating right. 
Do I exercise regularly?  
All the evidence is in to tell us that regular exercise is absolutely essential to good health. Without it, your physical meter is going to run low. Have you put exercise in your schedule yet? Please don’t neglect this.    
Is it time for a physical check-up?  
Those regular dental and doctor maintenance visits are important. We can avoid many serious problems with early detection. God expects us to use whatever technology and expertise is available to us to monitor our bodies carefully and make certain they’re in the best shape possible.   
Many people today are consumed with their physical well-being because they are totally self-focused. But as Christians, our motivation is far more important and eternal. Our bodies are the temples of God’s Spirit, and we need to keep that in mind. To honor the presence of God’s Spirit in our bodies, we should want to keep them in the best condition possible   
How is your emotional meter doing? 
Now, the second meter we want to check is our emotional meter. This is one we often ignore. Lots of people are pretty good at checking their physical meter, and others watch the spiritual one closely, but we forget about our emotional meter. There are certain things which drain us emotionally, and we’re often unaware of those. Then we find ourselves emotionally empty and wonder what’s wrong.    
Here are some questions to find out if your emotional meter is running low:  
Do you often cry for unexplained reasons?  
If you find yourself in tears frequently and there doesn’t seem to be a reasonable explanation for them, it may be a sign you’re emotionally depleted. Now, for sure, sometimes tears are good—happy tears and sad ones. God created our tear ducts, so there’s no need to be ashamed of crying, and they are there for good reason. But if you are often crying out of emotional burnout and you can’t exactly say why, that could be because your emotional meter is running on empty.   
Do you find yourself easily angered and testy with people for no good reason?  
This is an important gauge for me. I know I’m getting low emotionally when I get angry over very small things. When was the last time you were really angry? Was it out of control and harmful? Those are good signs your emotional meter is running low.   
Do you continually think about running away or getting away from everything or everybody?  
Now, we all naturally think about leaving it all behind occasionally, but if you find yourself daydreaming about it daily, it’s probably a sign your emotional reservoir is low.    
Do you find yourself vulnerable to moral temptation that usually is not a problem?  
For some people, this can signal that your emotional tank is dry, when immoral thoughts and temptation seem to attack you.   
Do you resent having to give of yourself to other people, even your family and those you dearly love?  
If you frequently find yourself hoping that your children, mate, or some other close person in your life won’t want to talk to you or ask you to do something for them or with them, check out that emotional meter. It’s running low.   
Is there a financial problem in your life?  
When you are under severe financial pressure, it can surely deplete you emotionally. There may be changes necessary in your spending habits. And if you’re not giving God his share, that is undoubtedly a major factor in your financial woes.    
These are some suggested questions to help you determine where you are emotionally. You may have other questions that apply to your emotional well-being, different from these. But the important thing is, do you often check up on your emotional well-being?    
If not, you should. And when you find these are running low, remember you need to take the needed time to replenish them. I don’t think there is one way we all use to fill up our emotional tanks; it will vary for each of us. For me, some quiet time, some non-people time is one thing I need. Time when I don’t have to talk or listen.    
Another way to replenish the emotional tank is to do something totally unrelated to your daily routine. I remember going home for a holiday and my dear nephew asked me to speak at his church. I said, “Todd, I’d love to, but for this week, I’m not going to be The Christian Working Woman.” There are times we just have to get away from the normal routine and do something totally unrelated to our normal daily duties. And that’s true even if you love what you normally do.   
That’s true for all of us. How often do you mentally and physically remove yourself from your daily routine and responsibilities so you can replenish your emotional tank? Don’t feel guilty about needing to do that. Mothers and fathers need to get away from their children for a while. We need breaks from our jobs, our church responsibilities, even the things we love the most. If you never get away from it, you’ll run your emotional tank dry. And that getting away has to be complete mental separation, not just physically getting away. Can you leave your job behind at the end of the day? It’s important that you be able to do this.   
How is your spiritual meter doing? 
Now, the last meter you need to check regularly is your spiritual meter. Here are some questions to find out where you are spiritually:   
Is there any area in your life where you know you’re disobeying God?  
Known disobedience in a Christian’s life will always lead to despair. Hanging on to some known sin in your life will keep you spiritually dry, even the small things that don’t seem important. If God’s been dealing with you about something, it’s important, and nothing short of obedience will solve that problem.   
Are you spending daily structured time in Bible reading and prayer?  
I’ve talked about this so much, and it is still the key factor in your spiritual life. If getting to know God is not your highest priority, then obviously your spiritual well is going to run dry.   
Is there a relationship problem in your life?  
Perhaps there’s a person in your life who is taking you away from God, and you’ve been unwilling to sever or curtail that relationship. Or perhaps you need to mend a broken relationship, or maybe you’re pining over a relationship that hasn’t happened yet. Relationship issues are usually directly tied to our spiritual well-being.   
Is there someone you need to forgive?  
The lack of forgiveness will drag you down and sap the spiritual life right out of you.   
These are some suggested questions that can help you determine if your physical, emotional, and spiritual meters are where they should be. Perhaps you’d like to have a copy of these questions to use in your own life. I’ve put them in a check-up form, and you can download it here.
I strongly encourage you to begin to regularly check your meters and by God’s grace, get serious about keeping your life in balance in these three areas.