Overwhelmed?
On any given day, you awake a list of things to do. The list from yesterday isn’t even complete and you’re adding more things on, today. One of the verses that frequently comes to mind and God uses to center me is this.
But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41,42).
My Story
I can identify with Martha. I awake many days between 4 and 5am. I have my thinking time where I record all the things racing through my mind when I wake up. It’s my creative time, the time when new ideas come to me, new desires, new plans, new strategies, etc. Then, I spend time in the devotion, reading the bible, searching out scriptures, studying, praying, journaling, reflecting, etc. Then writing my blog. I’m slow, but those 3 or 4 hours really help stage the rest of my day and overall I enjoy it. At 8am, it’s time to start work and I run straight through 10 hours or more, normally without my 15-minute breaks and 30-minute lunch. Then, I race through dinner before my class or for my side hustle ending 10-11pm. It’s a very tight schedule. Weekends are similar, but not quite as bad.
But, when I am overwhelmed in life, often I hear Jesus saying to me, “Yolanda, Yolanda, you are cumbered about many things.” Cumbered means to be overloaded, inconvenienced, and troubled based on Dictionary.com. And God’s right. I am overloaded and overwhelmed with many things. Some weeks, I create schedules that are impossible to keep up and then look to my husband to help me work it out. Then, I get an attitude when I don’t get the help I want or think I need.
Eventually, Jesus reigns me in; reminds me that there is only one thing that is needful- Him. I need more of Him; more time in
His Word, more of His voice, more of His Will instead of my own. In the end, when I’ve done all I can do, my to-do list won’t matter. The only thing that will matter is where I stand in Christ and whether I finished well.
How to Handle Overwhelm
Mary chose that “good part which will not be taken away from her.” That’s what we ultimately want to be said of us. When we reach overwhelm, verses like this one, make us step back, to adjust our perspective. It doesn’t mean our list gets any shorter but it does comfort us to know that God will give us the strength to get the most important things done.
Very few urgent things are important. Everything seems urgent, like it has to get done, today; but life almost never falls apart because we didn’t get that load of clothes in the laundry, or didn’t call to check in on that loved one that came to mind, or because we didn’t send that email or text.
The most important things are rarely the urgent things. That’s why stepping back as a child in the bosom of our Father and looking for solace in His Word, doesn’t result in all hell breaking loose. That time away, helps us come back stronger. Of course, I’m not suggesting we walk away from responsibilities to go read scripture. We can step back in our minds. We know enough scripture that we can find solace in our Father, be reminded of His precious Word, recall a song of inspiration; and never leave the office, never leave the classroom; never leave the kids unattended.
Conclusion
When you meet with overwhelm, recall scriptures like this. Chose the “good part” the part that can’t be taken away from you- like solace in the promises of God.
What’s going to be important to you when it’s all said it done? Everything else boils down to, doing all you can do. If Jesus wanted you to do more or better in that instance, He could make it so. Sometimes He does and sometimes He doesn’t. It’s not because He’s arbitrary, but He’s doing things that far exceeds what you can ask or think in that moment- and it always works for your good.
