It’s been years since I’ve ridden this kind of emotional roller coaster.
Many years ago my husband worked overseas. I was a young mom, and his three-month absences were almost more than I could bear. I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained even on the good days.
From one day to the next (depending on how much sleep I got, whether an appliance went on the blink, or how much contact I had with family and friends), my life was a whirlwind of joy and despair. Some days I honestly questioned whether I had the strength to go on.
Today my life and my faith are far more stable.
Even so, some days are simply hard.
So, what do I do with my feelings? I can’t just wish them away.
What to do when you feel overwhelmed
As Christians, we may think we’re not supposed to admit it when life feels overwhelming. Won’t that mean our faith is weak?
In an effort to appear faithful, we wrangle up some Christian swagger and say things like “God will never give me more than I can handle” (yes, He will!) or “With God, all things are possible” (yes, even the awful things). Although we often try to encourage each other with “You’ve got this!,” the truth is, sometimes we don’t.
At times our circumstances truly overwhelm us. That’s why it’s important to know what to do when you feel overwhelmed.
There’s nothing wrong with admitting that what we’re going through is hard and perhaps beyond our own ability to endure.
When the rug is pulled out from under us, sometimes we just don’t have what it takes.
And, as a Christian, I’m okay with that.
When the Israelites were facing the formidable enemies waiting for them in the Promised Land, God didn’t say “You’ve got this!” Instead, He said
“Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go and drive out nations greater and stronger than you, WITH LARGE CITIES FORTIFIED TO THE HEAVENS.”
That doesn’t sound like a pep talk to me! Instead, it sounds like facing the facts.
Israel was weak and vulnerable.
They were in over their heads.
And the last thing they needed to hear was “You’ve got this!” when they knew they didn’t!
God didn’t tell the Israelites to believe in themselves.
He told them to believe in Him.
Moses said,
“the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you.”
In my own words, the scenario looks something like this: “This is a terrible scene you’re facing. Like, it’s really awful. There’s no way you can conquer these circumstances or this enemy. So, stop depending on yourself. Instead here’s what to do when you feel overwhelmed: DEPEND ON GOD. Not only will He help you, but He’ll accomplish exactly what He wants to happen.”
The truth about “You’ve Got This!”
Admitting how weak we are doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in despair. Perhaps it means we’ve come to our senses.
When we realize God is the only One we can depend on, we are wise indeed.
So, I don’t know about you, but I’m not gonna fake it. And I won’t berate myself for having a bad day.
Instead, I’ll salute my good sense that tells me I need the Lord. He’s the one who can strengthen and deliver me.
He goes before us, “devastating and subduing” everything that keeps us from trusting Him alone.
God will give us what we need and He’ll bring us out on the other side. Not because we’re worthy or strong, but because He’s merciful and good.
Here’s what to do when you feel overwhelmed:
• Get alone with God. That means retreating from the news, social media, and other people. If you’re in a house with other people, you won’t always have space by yourself. Sometimes all you can do is put in earplugs or retreat to a bathroom, but in your heart you can seek God anywhere.
• Open your Bible. Although I’m normally studying a specific book in my Bible, some days I find it hard to focus. That’s when I turn to the book of Psalms. There’s no writing I identify with more when my feelings are wobbly. In many of the psalms the writer focuses first on his feelings of despair, fear, frustration, grief, etc and then pivots to the truth that anchors him. God is always the way out, the way forward, and the way to find hope.
• Pray. I start my prayer time meditating on a simple truth from the scriptures. Then I pray for myself and others. But I always try to come clean with God and admit to Him all the feelings I’m struggling with. (For a downloadable prayer journal to help focus your prayer time, click here.)
• Try to see your situation from God’s perspective. His view stretches into eternity. With an eternal focus, our circumstances take on a different meaning.
When we find ourselves on an emotional roller coaster, the best thing we can do is make sure we’re safely strapped in.
In other words, in all the twists and turns of life, we can rest in the knowledge that “God’s got this.”
Even when we don’t.
I loved this! Such a great reminder in this season.
Thank you, Kelly!