Are You Suffering From Overwhelm?

I don’t want to face the day.

It’s an hour past the first chirp of my alarm and I’m still hiding under my covers. I don’t want to hear Jillian Michaels bark at me from the DVD because am bloated from eating too much “comfort food”.  I dread the looming writing deadline and piles of laundry and endless errands. 

Overwhelmed

I don’t want to face today because I am overwhelmed with too much to manage and not enough …

• Energy 
• Money
• Reserves 

So I hide under my covers and keep hitting the snooze button as I beg God to help me, fix me, save me, multiply my time and resources. 

Piles and pressures

Do you do that? Hide when the piles and pressures get overwhelming? Hoping the the rapture is today, or someone drops off a time warp machine or that a money tree pops up on the porch?

Heavenly revelation. 

Let’s face it, we are juggling a lot. Easier to hide and worry and stay under the covers talking to God about all the things that are too overwhelming to face rather than get up and go after them.

As I was reciting my list of grievances, reasons and excuses for my overwhelm, God gifted me an epiphany! A heavenly revelation!

I had made idols out of my schedule, my grief, my bank statement, my circumstances and the projects on my to-do list. I had made an idol of my overwhelm. 

Idol worship.

An idol is anything that usurps God from the forefront of my thoughts. If I am worried or consumed with thoughts of bitterness or preoccupied with fears, I have displaced God in my mind and heart.

Can I get an OUCH?

I always thought of idols as things like greed or power or fame. Maybe a person or a possession, but I never saw worry, fear, bitterness or overwhelm as idols.

As I hid under the covers begging God for a miracle and willing Jesus to come back right now and save me from this day, Holy Spirit whispered in my ear,

I’m here. Let me be your God.  Trust me to supply all you need and be with you through it all. 

I opened my clenched fists and opened my heart and mind to His request and the gloom and despair and feelings of overwhelm began to lift.

More of HIM.

Though I’d made God less than, He makes me believe for more. He fills me with Himself and coaxes me out of my bedcover cocoon. God didn’t rapture me. He didn’t multiply my time or drop off a pile of cash or resurrect my dad. Nor did he pile on condemnation guilt or shame.

He wooed me.

God conquered my overwhelm with his Presence, so that I can face today with His strength, His creativity, His patience.

Philippines 4:13 that says, For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength, (NLT) has taken on new meaning.

God wants to be my strength and courage. He fills in the gaps of my weakness with Himself so I can lean on his strength to go, do, say, and face today. 

He is my More Than Enough. Is He yours? How does God reveal his plans or encouragement to you – especially in times of trial or despair? 

Verse for today: 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. 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

Prayer: Lord God, Get me to the end of myself, so I remember to lean on you for everything and trust you will all my things. Thank you for being my strength and guide. You are awesome. In Jesus Name amen