Out of the "Land of Overwhelm"

“What’s up for your week?” I asked. My friend shook her head.     “My schedule is packed to the gills,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll be lucky to have any time to myself.”

     Sometimes “busy” gets to be more than we can handle, and we might feel as if we’re heading to a place we don’t want to be. I call that place the “Land of Overwhelm.” No one wants to visit there. But what can we do to keep from heading to that disastrous place?  

     The following five steps have helped me, and I hope they will be helpful to you, too, if you feel overwhelmed:    
1)First, what makes you feel overwhelmed? Name it.        
2)Do you have control over the situation? Yes or No.  (If not, we'll touch on that later.)     
3)Make a list. What do you need to do right away, or today? List these items in order of importance.      
(Note: Are your prioritized items ones you are expected to do, or are they self-imposed? If self-imposed, can they be saved for later?)    
4)Start with the most important item and work your way down the list. Check off each item after you’ve completed it.    
5)Be kind to yourself. You can only accomplish so much in one day. Take breaks to do something you enjoy, diverting your attention away from work.   
   
     The five steps listed above are “self-help” steps. When we feel stressed, though, you may have noticed, as I have, that we tend to look within ourselves for answers.  But wait! Let’s not be alone! Are there friends or family who can help? If so, they may or may not have the answers we need, but they can provide support.   

     In seeking help, let us not overlook calling upon the Master of Creation. God’s Word—the Bible—provides instruction for our lives. The Author and Creator of your life and mine wants to enter into a relationship with you and with me. We were brought to this earth for a reason. But because of wickedness and sin, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross to save us from sin.

     If we believe in Him, He dwells within us. And when we believe, we learn to trust. (If you look up “trust” in the Bible, you will come across a multitude of scriptures about the importance of trusting in God.

     The Bible also shows that Jesus took “breaks.” He made time to get away from the crowds to rest and pray. This self-care enabled Him to do the work He needed to do.   
  
     Prayer is another key element in trusting God. When we trust Him, we ascertain that we can communicate with Him through prayer.   
 
     We can take steps (such as the numbered items above) to avoid the road to “overwhelm.” However, foremost in my experience, before resorting to “self-help” measures, I have found it is best to seek God’s help through faith and prayer.

     When there are things we cannot control, they are literally out of our hands. In such times, through faith and prayer we can ask God to help us by placing these worries into His Almighty hands.     
 
     God cares about you, and He cares about me. With the help and guidance of the One who knows all, we can avoid traveling to the “Land of Overwhelm.” Instead, we can look forward as we step into the "Land of Hope and Faith." 
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     If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, it only takes a simple “Yes” to do so. The God of creation loves you more than you will ever know!
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“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com  
  

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