Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed can be exhausting. Many times along with it comes feelings of paralysis, not knowing where to begin. The key to overcoming feelings of being overwhelmed is to step back for a moment and turn to God. Sounds cliche', I know.

But I was feeling this way earlier today. Then, I decided to take a step back from everything, figuring it wouldn't hurt for me to spend 15 minutes reading my Bible and praying about this. My attention turned to Isaiah 43:1-4.

But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.

This reminded me that many times, all God wants is my attention. Especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I think he wants me to stop and hang with Him for a little bit. God is with us all of the time. The next time I'm feeling overwhelmed, I want it to serve as a reminder to turn my attention to Jesus, to give Him every thought, every anxiety, every responsibility, every task, every stress, and remember that He is here with me. I want to allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak to me through those times. I want to receive His comfort.

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed, stressed, defeated, what will you do? Will you wallow in self-pity? Or will you turn to God, allowing that to serve as a reminder of how much He wants to speak to you, minister to you, love you? He does you know. He wants to show you His love. All you need to do, is turn your attention to Him.