246. You Were Made for More Than Running on Empty

by Julie Lefebure | Apr 14, 2026 | Podcast

In this episode of Encouragement for Real Life, Julie continues the You Were Made for More series by addressing a struggle many women quietly carry—feeling like they’re constantly running on empty.

This isn’t just physical exhaustion. It’s a deeper kind of tired—mental, emotional, and spiritual—where no amount of rest seems to refill what’s been depleted. Julie gently helps listeners recognize what running on empty can look like, and it may not be what we think.

She explains that many of us have unknowingly adopted patterns that keep us depleted—pushing through instead of pausing, equating productivity with purpose, and believing rest must be earned. Over time, this becomes our normal. But it was never God’s design.

Running on empty is not God’s best.

Drawing from Matthew 11, Julie reminds us that Jesus doesn’t ask us to carry everything on our own. Instead, He invites us to come to Him—to experience real rest and “the unforced rhythms of grace.”

Through a personal story of burnout during a busy and emotional season, Julie shares how she realized she had been trying to pour from an empty place. Using the powerful image of a pitcher, she explains that we cannot keep pouring out if we become empty. The solution isn’t to do less—it’s to return to our Source.

This episode is an invitation to stop striving and start reconnecting. True rest isn’t just stopping—it’s being refilled by Jesus.

If you’ve been feeling depleted, discouraged, or disconnected, this is a reminder: you don’t have to keep living this way.

You were made for more than running on empty.

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