OVERWHELMED?

Overwhelmed?
(עטף to be feeble, be faint, grow weak, to be wrapped in darkness)

Point of confession: Over the last week I started an online Bible Study (again) called Setting Captives Free (see link below in my site's) in an attempt to win the battle again with my weight and what overeating has done in my life. When I'm up or down food is a constant in my life and I know that the only help is found in Christ. With that said as I turn over this area again to Christ and stop eating when I am feeling stressed out I find myself left with feelings of being OVERWHELMED.

The kids have been sick this week with ear infections and the baby wasn't sleeping and they were fussy and on and on ... needless to say by 4 or 5 o'clock on the last two days I was feeling OVERWHELMED ... where could I turn? I knew I needed time alone with God, but that wasn't happening ... until the kids went to bed anyhow ... so today I googled "overwhelmed in the Bible" and came to a sermon that was most helpful.

The Pastor in the sermon said there are many other things that cause us to have that feeling:
- worries
- problems
- responsibilities
- finances
- parenting
- fatigue
- exhaustion

On the sermon (scroll down for the link) the pastor says it is like "boarding up your house with 150 mph winds going in a hurricane" ... we need to prepare ahead of time for times of being overwhelmed. The storm is inevitable, these things will come, but we can be prepared.

In his sermon he uses the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to teach us what to do in times of being OVERWHELMED.

1) Let go of your need to control the situation. The more out of control we feel, the more we double our efforts to control everything. The more we try to control the uncontrollable (which is a waste of time by the way!) the more overwhelmed we feel. We should realize by now that most of life is out of our control, it's just a mystery! So much of the stress in our lives is a desire to control everything, to be the manager of the universe, to control the attitudes of others, the minds of our children, the traffic, the weather and so on and so forth ... Mary let go of her need to control the situation. Sure she asked "But how" when she was told she was going to give birth to a son, as do we, we ask "how" questions, like "how am I going to get it all done in time, make the payment, etc." But notice the angel's answer "Nothing is impossible with God!" He didn't tell her how, there was no explanation. NOTE: Even though it is out of your control, it is not out of God's control. You do NOT have to figure everything out! God is not figureoutable ...

NOTE: The LORD will work out HIS (whose? HIS) plans for my life. Ps 138:8 NLT

Know that God's plans for your life are:
a) Often bigger than my plans because God has a bigger perspective for my life.
b) Often more painful for my life with an eternal perspective (such as fulfilling a promise or prophecy). God is not interested necessarily in making me comfortable, but He is interested in making me Christlike!
c) Always BETTER!

2) Let others help you out (which is the opposite of what we normally do, right?) We tend to ISOLATE when we are feeling overwhelmed. Not Mary, Mary hurried, she ran to greet Elizabeth. She went for support. After we go to God who else might we find support in?

a) someone who is Godly
b) someone who is older and wiser with more life experience
c) someone who is a little further along than we are, who has perhaps been in the same situation as you are facing

Let go of pride and get support. Connect with Godly friends. Even Jesus felt overwhelmed and even Jesus needed friends! (Matthew 26:38)

3) Finally, let God give you strength. You know He will, but do you LET Him?

How do we do this?
a) Praise God for His goodness - there is enormous power in this. Mary responded "Oh, how I praise the LORD. How I rejoice in God my Savior!"
b) Meditate on God's promises. There are over 7,000 promises in the Bible. Meditate on them, memorize them. Mary knew the Word well, she could recall it in a time when she could have easily been overwhelmed.

This was a powerful sermon and I encourage you to listen for yourself.
http://www.tlc.org/sermons/details.php?sermon_id=570&mp3=play

PDF notes of sermon: http://www.tlc.org/sermons/notes/20040919a.pdf


For some verses in Scriptures you can pray when you are feeling overwhelmed you can start here with the ones I found:

“Lord, I am overwhelmed; please come to my help.” Isaiah 38:14b (JB)

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed עטף: lead me to the Rock [that] is higher than I. Psalms 61:2

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed עטף. Selah. Psalms 77:3

The Lord's Eternal Love ~ Psalms 102
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed עטף and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. 2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth. 4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread. 5 Because of the sound of my groaning My bones cling to my skin.

8 My enemies reproach me [I reproach (correct) my children] all day long; 11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass. 12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. 13 You will arise and have mercy … 16 For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory. 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.

25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. 27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.