It’s almost Christmas and if you’re like most women, your to-do list is too long, your bank accounts too small, and your energy levels zapped. You’re overwhelmed and wish you could close your eyes, hide, and make everything go away.
But other than blow your top, what are you supposed to do when overwhelmed and what does the Bible say about feeling overwhelmed?
Does God even care…
Woman of God, God sees you. He knows you’re overwhelmed and has the answers that’ll calm you down and help you deal with being overwhelmed.
I promise that running away, hiding in the closet, or pulling the covers over your head won’t help.
Believe me, I wish they would but life experience has shown that God’s way works so much better.
If you find yourself overwhelmed and about to blow, I pray this post provides you with jewels from God’s Word that’ll help you deal with being overwhelmed.
Whats Overwhelmed Even Mean?
I like to know what things mean because I feel like it adds depth to what we’re feeling. So…we’re going to define overwhelmed.
Webster's states overwhelmed means “to be completely overcome or overpowered by thoughts, emotions, superior force or power. To cover over completely.”
You might be nodding your head and saying, “yup, I’m overwhelmed with everything needing done, the activities my kids want to do, the fact that I can’t find time to exercise, and and and…”
You might be feeling stressed, anxious, exhausted, angry, afraid, and like you want to cry and scream all at the same time.
Being overwhelmed is miserable.
Because as Websters said – it covers you over completely. But…
- Do you think we allow ourselves to get overwhelmed by the wrong thing(s)?
When I read Webster’s definition, the first thing that came to mind was “I’m supposed to be overwhelmed by God”.
And when I read other posts about how to deal with feeling overwhelmed, they all place the burden lifting on your shoulders.
Golly gee – that’d only make an overwhelmed woman like yourself, more overwhelmed.
So I turned to the Bible to see what God wants us to do and then gave you a few tips based on what the Bible says (and my life experience) about feeling overwhelmed.
Let’s start by opening God’s Word together so we can figure out how God wants us to deal with being overwhelmed.
What’s the Bible Say?
What to Do When…
When things get tough and you’re overwhelmed the nth degree God wants you running to Him not away from Him.
We have to fix our eyes on Christ and the eternal perspective He has. Because when we’re able to do this,
we realize the things overwhelming us are teeny weeny compared to the strength and power we have in Christ.
So how do you deal with feeling overwhelmed?
You follow these steps.
1. Time in Prayer
Running to God the moment overwhelming feelings start to bubble up means you’re calling out to the only One who can solve your problem(s).
If you’re stressed out and overwhelmed, take it to God in prayer. Pour your heart out to Him and share every emotion you’re feeling, with Him.
Do you want to run and hide?
Stomp your feet and throw a fit?
Scream at the top of your lungs?
Hit a punching bag until it explodes?
Share whatever you’re feeling with God – let it all out.
I promise, He can and He wants to handle it.
- Take a moment now and pray.
Share what you’re feeling with God, tell Him what you wish was different and about everything that’s overwhelming you.
Once you’ve done that, tell Him you’re laying it at His feet and giving it all to Him. Then, ask Him to show you what to do and for His power and strength to do it with.
Next, you need to get things in order.
2. Get Things in Order
Oftentimes I find myself getting overwhelmed when I’ve failed to schedule and organize things. When I’ve done this, I’ve also usually forgotten to start my day with prayer. Ugh.
So now that you’ve given everything to God, grab a piece of paper, the notes on your phone, or whatever organizational app you might use. Also take a look at these posts on planning that we’ve written here, here, and here.
- What absolutely has to be done today?
- What can be delegated?
- What can be done later in the week or month?
The entire time you’re doing this, be prayerfully asking God to guide you.
Putting things in order, by following God’s lead means overwhelming feelings are replaced with perfect peace.
3.You Time
Having “you time” is an important part of a Christian woman’s mental and emotional health.
You can’t effectively invest in others unless your investing in yourself. You time could mean a lot of different things.
Maybe it’s…
- 15 minutes with God before the rest of the house wakes up
- coffee with a girlfriend once a week
- a 10-minute prayer walk to connect with God and get refocused
- a hot bubble bath with praise music softly playing in the background
Pray and ask God to show you how to incorporate “you time” into your week. Then ask Him to show you how you should spend that “you time”.
No one knows you better than God, so rest assured He’ll provide the time for perfect “you time”.
4. Only the Necessaries
This should maybe go at the top, right after prayer ‘cuz it’s that important.
Erasing everything insignificant and unneeded from your list is one of the most important tips for dealing with feeling overwhelmed. Insignificant things are the things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Once that’s done, you only say “yes” to what God wants you saying “yes” to.
- What’s God asked you to do?
- What are your top priorities?
Take a look at this post here if you’re not sure about priorities.
Those are the things you say yes to and are the things that go on your to-do list. Now, go through everything that’s causing you to feel overwhelmed and cross off everything but the absolute necessities.
Pray over the rest and ask God to show you if He wants you doing any of those “insignificant” things and if so, when.
Spending your time on the necessities while remaining grounded in God’s truth, is how you proactively deal with overwhelm.
5. Rest in the Lord
Rest is something we’re passionate about. Why?
Because it’s part of God’s design for His people and because it’s critical to all four aspects of your health – spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health.
God established rest at creation because He knows His children need to rest in Him and take time to rest from things.
- How are you resting in the Lord?
- If you’re not, would you ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to do this?
When you rest in the Lord, you’re trusting that He’ll provide all you need, for all He places on each days list.
6. Focus
This one is tough for most women. Why?
Because we’re expert multitaskers.
But beautiful woman of God, scientific study after scientific study has found multitasking to be highly ineffective. You need to focus on one thing at a time.
Give your full undivided attention to each project you’re working on and each person you’re with.
Now,
- spend the rest of your day focusing on one thing at a time and then write down what happens.
Every morning when your feet hit the floor, make a point of committing to focus.
Practice will make for perfect focus but learning to focus will definitely take practice.
In Closing...
Dear woman of God, You are beloved, cherished, beautiful, and treasured. God doesn’t want you feeling overwhelmed unless you’re overwhelming yourself with Him.
Remember the definition of overwhelm?
It’s to be “overpowered by thoughts, emotions, or a superior force or power. To cover over completely.”
God gave you your emotions and He wants them used to glorify Him. He gave you your amazing brain so He can fill it with His thoughts and all the amazing things He created you to do.
So the next time life starts making you feel overwhelmed, run as fast as your mental and emotional legs can go into God’s arms.
Then cry out, “God, overwhelm me with You. Overwhelm me with Your power and strength. Cover me over completely Lord.”
God doesn’t want His children overwhelmed by anything but Him.
He knows life piles all sorts of things in our laps and loves to throw curve balls when we’re least able to deal with them. And guess what?
He’s given you His Holy Spirit so you’re able to handle those things.
You are the most beautiful temple of God around, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. God made His children the Spirit’s dwelling place, because He knew we’d need all the help He could provide.
Look at Jesus’ life on earth. He dealt with a whole lot of awful and the only reason He was able to deal with it as He did, was because He relied on the Holy Spirit.
He left us with the same powerful help He had.
Woman of God, you’ve got all you need to deal with any and everything God wants you to deal with.
- Will you follow the above steps?
- Will you read and reread the verses in the “what’s the Bible say” section?
If you feel so overwhelmed that you need more help than this, would you go to your pastor? If you don’t have a pastor, would you email us here? We’d love to be praying for you and supporting you in any way we can.
Until next time…
Lord God, I pray you fill this woman with your peace and that you show her what You want her to do about all that’s overwhelming her right now. Help her put things in order, find time for rest, and help her recognize what’s necessary and what’s not. Through this overwhelming season, give her a powerful testimony of Your heroics on her behalf. In Your precious and powerful Name, Amen.
