What do you do when you feel Overwhelmed?
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If we endure the disciple of the evening season, we will yield peaceful fruits!
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I feel so overwhelmed right now. I am trying to get some work done but am not recording the desired result. I am sure many of us can relate with this feeling. In the first three sentences above, do you observe that the word ‘feel’ and ‘feeling’ have been used to describe my state of mind?
Every time we ‘feel’ frustrated it is our feelings interpreting the challenges as frustration.
This is why we cannot afford to let down the guard on our hearts. We guard our heart with the right words! Job 6: 25 says ‘How forceable are right words’. (KJV)
When I feel this way, I remind myself about my faith declarations. My faith declarations are simply words I get while studying my Bible, words that affirm God’s mercy and mindfulness towards me.
Other times, I just tell myself that, this too will pass, there has to be a way out, Father, please help me, I don’t know what to do, and I need to do this, so Lord, please send me the right help. As I begin to say these words, as I am typing them now, my peace over the challenging situation is restored.
My friend, whom I fondly call, grandpa Gab, has a classic line of encouragement for frustration. He will start by saying, you spirit is noisy! Then end by saying, go to bed, go and sleep, goodnight! And when you ask him why? He would reply,
“Things look better in the morning”.
Things look better in the morning! Isn’t this part of the message in Psalm 30:5?
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime;
Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”.
Rejoicing comes in the morning! Things look better in the morning! So what is it about the morning?
Last week I was faced with malaria. It seemed as though it came unannounced, but I am sure I ignored the warning signs earlier on. When it finally manifested, it was not good. I felt so weak physically, temperature high yet felt very cold at the same time, and I lost taste for food completely. As I rested on the bed, for one split second I forgot I had the responsibilities of a home maker and a family to cater for. Then I began to speak to myself. I needed to address my mindset immediately before my ‘feelings’ and the symptoms begin to address things around me!
Soon, I took some meditation for malaria and I felt better. But I couldn’t help thinking, ‘how come for a brief moment I forgot everything and I was focused on ‘me’?’‘Why did it feel like I was in the middle of the night praying for the morning to come?’
Our challenges will always come in the form of the evening. Haven’t you read in Genesis chapter 1 (NIV), that,
‘And there was evening and there was morning’?
My Bible study teacher told me that in the creation story, the evening always comes before the morning, this signifies that day begins with the evening and ends in the morning. I have come to understand that the evening is the time for preparation, trials, difficulty, frustration, you name it.
Evening connotes a season or stage in our life when we allow process to build us up. Evening is not a time to give up, it is a time to prepare, learn and be strong.
Dear friend, if you say you have never had an evening season in your life, I am happy for you, but I do not envy you because evening is as important as the morning. Remember, joy comes in the morning.
So, back to my feeling of frustration at not achieving the desired result for my present task. I know it is evening time as it relates to this area of my life. Rather than faint, I will work. Rather than be distracted, I will be committed and I will see the desired result. I will see it; it is just a matter of patience.
You, my friend can be patient too. Regardless of what may be presenting as your evening, decide to ‘hold God strong’, do the needful, and patiently wait for the desired results.
Be encouraged by Brother Paul’s words in Hebrews 6:12,
“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” NIV
Be patient, exercise your faith in God and inherit what God has promised you. May your
My name is Precious, I was bipolar and I live a full life.
Prayer
Father, I put my hands in your hands, I submit my will and emotions to you. Father help me, send me the appropriate help for every phase of my evening season, that I will not disappoint you Lord, that you will delight greatly in my life, in Jesus Name, Amen.
Reference
Job 6:25, Psalms 30:5, Hebrews 12: 4-12, Hebrews 6:12.
Bible Study/Discipleship Class holds every Thursday at 7thAvenue, J Close, House 10, Festac Town, Lagos. It is usually a great time in God’s presence studying the Bible.
Reading this, I had to pause and digest. I could relate to the ‘feeling’ of being overwhelmed, like you are torn from all corners, each one screaming for your attention, and yet, no clear solution in sight. It is one of the most helpless and frustrating feelings imaginable. But ‘patience’ just seems really overstated and unrealistic to me. If this window of time were to last longer than 48hrs, would I still be compelled to be patient? I know the basis of faith requires us to sit still, trust in God and wait for that too to pass. In all honesty, what can we do except wait it out? Just how long this will take, may determine the strength of my faith and tenacity. I don’t know Sis, but just being ‘patient’ doesn’t sound realistic.
Humm! I feel you sis. I understand what you mean. It will be difficult to practice the patience advised in Hebrews 6:12 without the help of the Holy Spirit. In human terms, ‘patient’ will never sound realistic, but we ask God to help us with the grace to be patient. I hope this answer helps you in some way. Thanks for your feedback.
I love how you said that the evenings are just as important as the mornings. So true. If we have no evenings the joy of the mornings will be less exuberant. If we have no evenings, our celebration of God for our mornings will be dimmer, quieter. See finish will creep in. But I also feel Anony above. Sometimes waiting for the 'morning' can be hard. But I always remind myself that it is not a human being I am waiting for. It is God. And as long as it is God, the Almighty God who never fails then in the words of Juanita Bynum's song 'I don't mind waiting, I don't mind waiting, I don't mind waiting on you Lord'. His timing may not make sense but it is informed by His love for me. He always gives me His best in His perfect time for me.
Dear Anony, I pray peace into your life now. God is working on 'that' matter. Just hold on. Believe even if you don't see it yet. That's God's way. We need to believe before we can see. God loves you and will not fail you. As Christians, being realistic sometimes has to be junked. Just be 'Godistic'. What is that? It is when you stubbornly believe God will do what He said he will do even when it looks unrealistic in your eyes! God will honour your faith. Trust me. No, don't trust me. Trust God!
Precious, thank you for this. I always love reading your posts. Even when I don't comment. Lol!