Have you ever felt overwhelmed with where you were at with life? Maybe you feel overwhelmed with your job or your goals or a decision you have to make? I think it’s a feeling that a lot of people can relate to and come face to face with but don’t know what to do. It’s a feeling that can cause a lot of anxiety and discouragement. I know I have faced a lot of discouragement and will continue beating discouragement down so it doesn’t consume me.
There are times where I feel overwhelmed with life. I have a dream of working in music and entertainment. More specifically I see myself either being on the radio, owning a record label or working with some no name band helping them build a career and launching them to rock-star status. I am going to be honest. It’s a dream that feels distant and hard to plan out. I don’t always seek Christ in those moments but I know I should. It’s in those moments that I should be seeking Christ in hope that he will consume my burdens.
I am going to be honest again. I have a variety of thoughts and ideas that I think are going to be the next best thing. I want to work on these crazy ideas because I know there is something interesting there. I want to pursue these ideas because there is some sort of cool opportunity there. In the midst of working on these ideas I end up feeling overwhelmed with exactly how to make that idea work and get lost in the details. So I spread myself thin and feel stressed and discouraged but I think there is hope.
I think we should remember three things when we are faced with being overwhelmed, discouraged, depressed or any other feeling that is thrown our way.
The first thing that helps me is allowing myself to take a break and do something else. If we take a step back for a little while and allow ourselves to rest and kind of reset, we give ourselves the opportunity to get a different perspective and let our creative juices a chance to fill back up. I find myself constantly drained of my creativity and ideas if I am overworked and frustrated about the details. Allow yourself the freedom to daydream and see if that helps you work out the details. The bible talks about rest 508 times. I think that rest is important if the bible talks about it that many times. After God created the heavens and the earth he took a day and rested. If God can take a day and rest, then its important enough for you and I to do the same.
The second thing that helps me is to seek council from parents, mentors or a person you trust. I know that if I reach out to someone, pick their brain and let them in on how I am feeling that they will help me figure out where I am stuck. So often I get hung up on a specific detail and don’t know what to do. I dig myself into a rut and don’t know how to build a ladder to get out. My parents are a great example. I have been fortunate enough to move in with them while I figure out what I am doing with my life. It’s not ideal but they are encouraging and a great way for me to bounce ideas and questions off of. They want to see the best for me and watch me succeed with my dreams and goals. Seeking council from someone that you trust allows us to share our burden with that person. Galatians 6:2 says “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s a great way for us to grow as individuals and encourage each other. It allows us to shed light on our burdens.
Lastly, I believe that we should spend time with God in prayer and the word. I think God allows these feelings to well up inside of us because he wants us to rely on him and build that connection with him. God is a relational God. He desires that we build a relationship with him. He wants us to trust him with our deepest burdens through our relationship with him through Jesus. Psalms 55:22 says “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” If we let God take our burdens he will give us freedom. I think freedom is far more valuable than getting hung up over details. Giving my burdens up to God and knowing that he is in control, allows me to see the bigger picture. It gives me peace. That is far more valuable than being overwhelmed.
My prayer is that if you are reading this, wherever you are in life, that you would not be overwhelmed with your burdens. I know that God has a plan for your life and that he would never allow you to be stuck in a rut without a purpose or without a way to get out.