Does Life Overwhelm You?

Life often overwhelms me. You know why? It’s because I’m the type of person who get things done. I solve problems, and I try to make life better and easier for everyone around me. That’s all well and good, but there are many things in this life that we are not able to control. What do we do with those areas of our life that we can’t control? Do we just live in stress over them?

Do we worry and fret? I have to admit that’s my first response. It shouldn’t be, but I seem to have worry down to a science. However, the Bible says in Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater (in quality) than food, and the body (far above and more excellent) than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by working and being anxious can add one unit of measure to his stature or to the span of his life? And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow…”

Wow! I guess God has quite a bit to say about worry. So how do I get my mind to listen to the Word of God? How can I put awful things that are happening in my life out of my mind?

I find when I am almost to the point of panic over something in my life that is too devastating to handle, I pray and tell God that I am leaving this situation in His hands. Then I quote Proverbs 3:5-6 to myself. “I trust in the Lord with all my heart, and I lean not unto my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge Him, and He shall direct my paths.”

Now I don’t just quote this once. I say it over and over until my mind and heart finally get it. If I wake in the middle of the night, and troubles seem to overwhelm my thoughts, I quote and quote and quote these verses. Soon I find my heart has quieted within me, and I can fall back into a restful sleep.

Psalm 131:1 tells us, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me.” So God does not want me to concern myself with these matters that are just too impossible for me to handle. What do I do then about solving them? I Peter 5:7 says, “Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

So how do I handle these problems in my life? First, I look up scripture that has to do with certain problems. If I need healing, I look up healing scriptures like Psalm 30:2, “O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me” or Isaiah 53:4-5, “Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains, yet we (ignorantly) considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement (needful to obtain) peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes (that wounded) Him we are healed and made whole.”

If I need help with my finances, I look up Philippians 4:19, “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” or Malachi 3:10, “Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove Me now by it says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” This verse reminds us that when we tithe, we can expect a great blessing in return.

Do you need prayer for you children? Use Proverbs 1:8 and insert your child’s name into the verse. “Listen, my son (or daughter), _______, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother.” Declare Psalm 103:17 over your children. “But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting unto those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children’s children.”

I quote to Him the verses I have looked up that concern the problem. Then I pray. I talk to God about my concerns. I go right into the throne room of God and talk. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favour to us sinners), that we may receive mercy (for our failures) and find grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it).” Then I thank Him for hearing me and for answering my prayer. Now, I do not want to talk the problem anymore. If worry tries to come on me again, I just say, “No! I gave this problem to God. He is working it all out for my good.” Now I thank Him for the answer, and I say, “I have the answer by faith.” Then every day I thank God for the answer. I continue thanking Him until I have a manifestation in my life of what I’ve been patiently standing for.

When the manifestation arrives, I praise and thank my great God for all He has done for me. Let me say a prayer for you and for me- that we will all learn to handle problems God’s way.

“Heavenly Father, I thank You for being our God. I thank you that we can come right into your very presence to talk to You and to pour out our hearts to You. I ask You to help us to remember how to go to You with our concerns. Teach us how to use Your Word, how to talk to You, and how to listen to Your voice. Be so very real to us today, Father. I pray a blessing on each one reading this today. I pray that as we come to You, You solve all that overwhelms and concerns each of us. Thank You, Father. We have our answers now by faith. We receive them into our lives now. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”