Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on
June 24, 2013 as Escaping Being Overwhelmed
I will cry to you when my heart is overwhelmed
-Psalm 61:2
Even as Christians we can feel overwhelmed by life. It happens to all of us. The weight of what is going on in our lives and everything that we need to get done can begin to crush us. It's easy to ignore the signs of being overwhelmed by just excusing them by thinking that life in today's world is hard and full of pressure, but there is nothing new about stress and hard times. We are not unique. A couple of millennia ago Jesus told his disciples straight up that we will face hardships and tribulation in the world. Even before Christ spoke on earth King David wrote numerous psalms expressing fears and anxiety.
There are situations in our life and in the world that are out of control and beyond our ability to fix. There is so much pressure and anxiety in life that at times we may feel like we can't even think about it. It's scary to feel overwhelmed and like we're drowning. It's hard sometimes to admit we don't have it all together. But here's a secret to encourage us, Jesus is the only person who ever walked this earth who had it all together. You don't. I don't. And we never will this side of eternity.
Jesus experienced anguish and fear on the cross because He voluntarily went through those things on our behalf and so that He would experience what we experience. He loves us so much and is so moved with compassion by our overwhelmed condition. Throughout His life on earth scriptures are filled with examples of Jesus being moved with compassion for the hurting and overwhelmed. That compassionate heart of Christ has not changed, and today that love and compassion is directed to you and me.
We are not unique or alone in feeling overwhelmed by life, and we need to realize that. It doesn't make us bad or mean we're failing. It means we're not God. After we see the need we need to cry out to God for help. Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, God is our rock, our salvation. When the waves of life are washing over us, we need higher ground, and finding our way to that safe place is not in using our will to change our attitude or by deceiving ourselves with pleasant sounding positing things about the fact that we're drowning. Getting there is a result of the Lord leading us to safety. The solution is not in we ourselves but in the shelter of the Rock upon which everything is built.
Psalm 61 goes on to say For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever, I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. We should be able to look back over our lives and see instances where God has been a shelter to us. If we can't see them, we can ask God to show them to us, because if we're alive then there have been times that the state of living has only continued because God had our back. God has been our defense, protected us from danger and enemies. He has watched over us and sheltered us in the past. And because God's nature doesn't change, we can know that He will continue to be our shelter in the present when we run to Him instead of attempting to protect ourselves from the storm.
So how do we find peace? What about when we can remember times of help from God but still can't shake the fear that we are drowning now? Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (anchored). God's love is unconditional but His blessings often are not. Here the blessing of peace is tied to the condition of anchoring our mind on Christ. We need to anchor our hearts and mind on Jesus. The Lord keeps His promises, and here we are promised that if we turn our eyes on Him and off the waves then we can have peace in the midst of the storm.
But sometimes that's difficult and before we realize it we've quit looking to God and started looking at everything that we need and the overwhelming truth that it isn't possible for us to meet that need. Our anchor has been moved and we are cast about on the waves, afraid and out of control. What then? First we can reanchor our hearts and minds like David did when he was afraid and overwhelmed, but praising God for His faithfulness and His loving kindness towards us. Gratitude and praise diverts our focus away from our problems and onto the One who is able to meet the needs that we are facing. This brings peace, but if we stay focused on the problems and put our energy into trying to keep the waves of the ocean from rising and falling we'll be overwhelmed by them.
Sometimes we get our attention so set on the problem that we forget the simple truths of God that we know. It may seem silly, but it's not. We all do it. And it always leads to fear, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. One of the things that is so easy to forget when the waves are crashing all around and over us is that prayer has a gate we can go to enter the presence of God, whenever we need to or want to.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord , He is God. It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving. And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him and bless His holy name.
For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
-Psalm 100
This chapter, especially verse 4 (Enter in.....bless His name.) is more than beautiful lyrics to an ancient song. They are a call to rise from our fears, tears, and anxieties and look to the Lord who loves us. It isn't always easy. If it were we wouldn't forget to do it so often, but if we fill our minds, hearts, and mouths with praise to God, we'll find ourselves walking through the gates into His presence, even as the storm rages around us.
We can't easily or fully concentrate on two things at once. So it stands to reason that speaking praises to God will distract us from and displace some of the darkness that is threatening to overwhelm us. But if it is nothing more than that, then it won't last longer than any tactic in the power of positive thinking tool box. But more importantly it works because God says in Him is peace and freedom. Praise takes us into God's presence and connects is to Him. It strengthens our faith. It doesn't bring peace to us by clouding or distracting our mind. It takes us spiritually out of the storm and into the place the storm can't go and where peace is, the presence of God.
Praising God as the storm blows is an act of faith. It is taking action based on deciding to believe that what God says is true, even when our circumstances make it feel or look like it isn't or might not be in this particular case. God knows what we're going through and what we're facing. We need to remember that and trust Him, step forward in faith, praising Him for His faithfulness and the ways He has proven Himself in our lives. Enter into His courts with thanksgiving or gratitude and praise. We need to give up our right to be angry about our situation. We can and need to approach the Lord as a hurting and scared child seeking a comforting parent. And the God of peace will make His love real for you and crush the enemy under His feet.
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