When You Feel Overwhelmed

Two weeks ago, we welcomed our brand-new baby girl into our family.

By the grace of God (and in answer to many prayers from this heart!), our sweet Eleanor has been a great sleeper and a great eater. She has really been a dream-like baby, so far, and I am so incredibly grateful.

But I have to be honest. Today my husband goes back to working long hours, and it is my first day home alone with all four kids. To say that I haven’t experienced a good bit of anxiety thinking about this day, would be a lie. I have felt overwhelmed at the responsibilities before me  and the thought of jumping back into a day-to-day rhythm on very little sleep and a newborn!

I know we’ll get through it, but I want to do so much more than just get through the day!

I’m trusting God to be my strength, and I’m leaning hard into the Spirit of God to bear fruit even in the midst of my exhaustion, but those feelings of being overwhelmed continue to creep up.

As I’ve thought about the anxiety I’ve felt, I began wondering: are any of you experiencing feelings of being overwhelmed?

You may not have a new baby in your home, but maybe it’s too many commitments or a new responsibility you’ve accepted. It might be the struggles of juggling homemaking and pursuing a God-given dream at the same time. Maybe for you, the daily urgencies of life are crowding out what you know is most important.

Whatever it may be, if you have been feeling overwhelmed, I want to encourage you to surrender those feelings to the Lord.

The moment I feel the anxiety begin to creep in, I pour out my heart to God, admitting how I feel and confessing my lack of trust in Christ’s sufficiency. For me, this time of prayer is a time of  yielding, falling at the feet of Jesus, letting go of my plans, my fears, me, me, me, and grabbing hold of Jesus.

After this time of confession and submission, I grab hold of the Word of God and replace those overwhelmed feelings with the truth of God.

The Bible tells us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).  If I don’t control my thoughts, my thoughts will control me. 

Instead of dwelling on those things that are making me feel overwhelmed, I meditate on the truth of God’s Word and hold fast to His promises.

These are a handful of the verses I turn to over and over when I am feeling overwhelmed. I’m praying they are an encouragement to you, too.

• “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 ESV)

• “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 NLT)

• “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…” (Psalm 61:1-3 NLT)

• “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7 ESV)

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)

• “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)

• “When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” (Psalm 94:18-19 ESV)

• “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling…Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:1-3, 10)

• “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)

• “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

Question for You: What helps calm you when you are feeling overwhelmed?

 

Original Photo without words {Flickr Photo Credit}:  Sara V.