When You Feel Overwhelmed

Dear Friends,

(Today’s blog is based on a message I preached on Sunday 26^th February, if you are interested in listening to the whole message then please click on the following link:http://www.gatewaychristianchurch.org.uk/podcasts.htm

During the last few months of 2016 and into this new year I’d been feeling really overwhelmed. I was struggling. The thought of having to do anything – whether at home or with church - was just too much. I felt like I was drowning under the too heavy weight I was trying to carry. I felt inundated with “stuff” and unable to cope.

I felt much like that camel in the story “The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back”. That poor camel was overloaded with straw which his owner had placed on him. But, the owner, not satisfied, decided to add one last piece of straw. It was just too much for the camel and he collapsed with a broken back.

Of course, it wasn’t just one piece of straw that broke the camel’s back, but that last piece did contribute to it and proved to be just too much when added to his original load.

Is that how you’re feeling today? Are you overwhelmed by life? What’s causing you to feel this way? Is it a build-up of seemingly small things, which put together have become too much to bear? Or is it something major that’s recently happened in your life? Illness – yours or someone close to you, marriage breakdown, financial worries, rebellious teenagers, caring for an elderly parent, pressures at school, college, work etc.?

What can we do when we’re feeling overwhelmed?

1.    Pray

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But how often is this a last resort? How much time do I first spend on worrying over my problems? How often do I try to fix things first? Try to gain control over the situation? Only for things to get progressively worse, not better.

Let’s take a moment to look at the example of David:

O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.

Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:1-4 (NLT)

I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy.

I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.

When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn… Psalm 142:1-3 (NLT)

We can be totally honest with God. We can ask him to be our rock, our security, when nothing else around us feels secure or stabile. We can tell him we are just not capable of making a decision at the moment and we need his guidance and direction.

Prayer is to be a two-way conversation – yes, we pour out our hearts to God. We tell him exactly how we are feeling. But we also listen for his response, knowing he has the answer. I find he often speaks his answer to me through his Word, the Bible, so I need to be reading it regularly and make room for him to speak and help me.

2.    Talk

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ¹¹ Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? ¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT)

Share with someone close to you that you are struggling and feeling overwhelmed: your spouse, a parent, a sibling you are close to, a good friend etc. Share even if it’s painful – be honest and don’t pretend!

Sometimes just having someone who is willing to make the time to listen can make a difference in how you are feeling. They may not be able to do anything practically to ease the load but it can make it feel more manageable just by voicing what’s happening.

3.    Rest

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

We need our sleep and this will help us when we are overwhelmed and stressed. Sleep helps to keep us focused, improves our ability to make better decisions, improves our memory, and results in us making less mistakes. 

My illness has taught me much about the body’s need for rest. So, make time for rest breaks during the day. Take time to sit quietly with a cup of tea, for example. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you should be busy every spare moment of the day. We need a healthy balance of work, rest and play.

4.    Take Stock

Take some time to review and reflect on your present situation to see if you need to make any changes or adjustments.

Learn to take one day at a time: Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

Learn to delegate: if we are going to function to the best of our ability and not feel overwhelmed then we need to learn to delegate.

Learn to say “No!” Don’t agree to something just because you have been asked, or because you don’t want to offend the person asking, or you’re afraid of what they’ll think of you. If you already feel too busy, then say no, don’t add to your busyness. 

Learn to say “Yes” to the things God wants you to do. Then you can go forward in his strength, knowing he will enable you and equip you.

Learn to let it go: consider all the things you are doing. Are you trying to do more than what God has called you to do? Do you need to let something go?

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

⁶ A time to gain,

    And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

    And a time to throw away; Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6 (NKJV)

5.    Have Fun!

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.  Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

Have fun. Do something you enjoy. When we’re feeling stressed, pressured, overwhelmed, this area of our life often gets pushed out. But I believe it’s important, and especially when we are feeling overwhelmed with life, to take some time out. 

Having fun apparently is a natural stress reliever. Having fun relieves tension and reduces anxiety. When did you laugh last? Really laugh?

What is fun for you? Reading a book, watching a comedy with friends, a sport, a hobby etc.

Putting the five things mentioned above into practice are helping me to manage better when I’m starting to feel overwhelmed.

I really believe we will be less likely to feel overwhelmed if these five things are a permanent fixture in our lives.

To Think About:

What do you think God is saying to you regarding each of these points?

Which of the five points would make the most difference to your life?

What changes, if any, do you need to make?

Vicki

If  what you read was of interest to you, then you may like to know that my book "Dear Friend...52 Weekly Devotions to Encourage, Challenge and Inspire" is available to buy from Amazon. (It's content is material adapted from previous blog posts.) To learn more, click on the link below:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1517787955/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487243591&sr=1-1&keywords=Vicki+Cottingham