When we came home after almost a decade of living overseas, I was obviously overwhelmed.  I had been living in prolonged survival mode.  Our organization has excellent member care, and I remember during the processing of the last term the counselor suddenly interrupted me and confessed that she was stumped as to why my faith in God had not been shaken, nor my unwavering belief that He is good and loving, even if I don’t understand all my circumstances or emotions.  I started looking at my regular habits and disciplines to see what I had been doing to stay in such a strong stance despite the overwhelming odds.  Maybe it can help you, too?  Keep reading if you need to get practical with your faith!

First and foremost (and I say this with utmost kindness and respect), what are the reasons for your overwhelmed spirit?  There are certainly times when our sinful patterns cause a sense of being overwhelmed, because our redeemed spirits are meant to live in harmony with the Holy Spirit and sin is a block to that.  So when you are overwhelmed, ask our gracious Father to gently bring light to your heart and mind to see if there is anything you need to receive forgiveness for – which He is eager and ready to do!

1. Confess, repent, and pray for one another – so you may be healed. 2 Cor 7:8-11 and James 5:16
2. Break free from the sin – don’t return to it! Heb 12:1, Eph 4:22, Gal 5:16ff

More often than not life is just complicated and broken.  We serve a God that works in mysterious ways and offers to go through dark valleys with us, but not avoid them altogether (John 16:33).  Sometimes we are blessed to know why we’re walking through such overwhelming circumstances, and sometimes we just need to trust that even when life doesn’t seem good to us, God is still good and He is still sovereign.

When your life looks like that, there are some practical things you can do when you’re overwhelmed so that, despite the circumstances, you can be confident that “it is well” with your soul (Phil 4:12-13).

1. Remember what God’s voice sounds like in your life. It is an anchor in tumultuous times. When you know what you’ve heard from the Lord, the competing voices of the world don’t seem so important anymore. Eph 4:14-16
2. What do you know to be true? When we’re overwhelmed, the fears and doubts can start to sound like the truth, but hold on fast to what you know is Capture your thoughts and take them captive for Christ. List everything out, even if it seems to be too obvious at first; gradually the Holy Spirit will bring focus and precise clarity to the truth. 2 Cor 10:5, Is 26:3, and Phil 4:8
3. Memorize Scripture. This is part of holding on to the truth. Make the Scripture you’re memorizing like a life slogan, so you can pull it out at any time and wave it around in the enemy’s face with a “so there!” attitude. Ps 119:11, James 1:21
4. Where can comfort be found? Seek it out! From God… from others… 2 Cor 7:4-7 and 2 Thess 2:13ff
5. Pray for yourself the way you pray for others. Allow yourself time to hear how the Father directs your prayer. Pray with intercession and passion.  See you yourself as a precious child of God that deserves the time to hear from your loving Father.  Phil 4:4-7 and Ps 37:7
6. Don’t escape… rest… Ex 33:14, Matt 11:28-30, Mark 2:25, and Mark 6:31
7. Ask God to increase his power, which is made perfect in our weakness. Trust in his sufficient grace. 2 Cor 12:8-10
8. Take responsibility for your response to difficult circumstances. Bless when cursed, endure persecution, answer kindly when slandered, rejoice in the Lord always. 1 Cor 4:12 and Phil 4: 4

Did one or more of these resonate with you?  Copy and paste the Scripture references into Google, or get out your Bible and dig into it a bit more.  See what else God wants to bring to your attention!  His desire is to carry the weight of your burdens, so please don’t feel shy or unworthy to bring them to Him!  It may not change your circumstances, but I promise it will make a world of difference!