Exhausted to the point I feel older than my years. Stressed beyond measure that now my left eyelid has began to bizarrely twitch. Emotional to the extent that when one of my sons informs me that he does not wish to eat my tomato pasta after I have just placed it in front of him, I burst into tears. And a level of patience that is soon proven to be very non existent when, the person next to me is breathing just ever so slightly too loud and too heavy for my liking.
Hey! Im Tori and welcome to my pathetic but very real world of when I am feeling overwhelmed and burdened down by the pressures of what I can only describe as “adulting”!
Consumed by my struggle, I found myself withdrawn from socialising and making headway to the lonely world of isolation. I sink into a mild state of depression and become the definition of “sloth” with my lazy, lethargic attitude. And let’s not forget my fuzzy, messy little head that makes me forget the things that I really shouldn't ever forget (and yes, I do mean things like my own stupid postcode).
When I am in this state of mind it feels like I'm in the middle of this huge deep, dark ocean with the dry land very far far away in the distance. My head is just above the surface and I'm constantly treading water. I'm fatigued and I long to rest, even if it’s just for a little while but, if I do rest then I stop moving, and if I stop moving I drown, which obviously isn't an option. So I keep on, keeping on and tirelessly continue to tread water.
"When my heart is overwhelmed and weak, lead me to the rock that is higher than I” Psalm 61:2
Is it just me or have you ever noticed that right at that moment when you feel completely out of your depth and start to lose grip on your hope and faith God shows up just in the nick of time to show you that he has got you?! As tiredness started to win me over and I felt myself begin to sink, His hands reached out to save me with a revelation that lifted me up out of the weighty waters and, this is what he said:
"Daughter, you are NOT overwhelmed or struggling.You have been cleverly labeled and lied to by the enemy. You have forgotten who YOU are”
Those clear and wonderful words of His gave me back my breath, my sanity and my strength to swim strongly back to the dry, safe welcoming lands of His love and truth. And, if you can relate to any of the above feelings of struggle and overwhelmness then I hope that powerful statement does the same for you too.
Have you forgotten who you are? Does it feel like you can’t cope with the constant demands of life? If the answer is yes then let me gently remind you, just as God reminded me, You ARE a child of the almighty Father and Creator of Heaven and Earth and He is the ONLY ONE who can label you. No one else, but Him! And as a child of God you are more than able.
“For you are all children of God (set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges) through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:26
“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world” John 16:33
When we are feeling overwhelmed we are fighting tired. We can feel out of our depth, hopeless and at times complete and utter failures. But we need to learn to not pay too much attention to our feelings. Just because we feel something, does not mean it is necessarily true.
For example, you may feel like you are out of your depth or feel like a failure when in fact the truth is you are NOT out of your depth and you are certainly NOT a failure! We may not be able to control and choose what happens to the environment around us but we can choose how we respond. Instead of focusing on everything that is difficult in your life, flip your focus onto God’s promises over your life and who you are in Christ. I repeat; YOU ARE a child of God so please start speaking and acting like it! Start declaring over your life these truths:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”!
Phillipians 4:13
“I am more than a conqueror!” Romans 8:37
“God will provide for my every need” Matthew 6:26
“ I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well” Psalm 139:14
Declaring God’s Word over our lives is mighty powerful and extremely effective however, we also need to be spiritually strong to resist the devil and his lies. Therefore, the more relaxed and at peace we are, the more easily lead we will by God’s Holy Spirit and the easier it will be to fight feelings of stress and struggle. If you are stressed out, it is harder to focus on His promises. Learn to find rest in God.
Together with knowing who you are in Christ is the only way to truly overcome the thoughts and feelings of having the weight of the world pushing down on your teeny tiny shoulders:
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”Matthew 11:28-30
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” John 14:27
God tells us to cast all our cares upon him (1Peter 5:7) which is fantastic news for us worrisome folk out there! However, this does not mean we should not take responsibility over certain life choices that may be contributing towards our stress levels.
For me, God started to show me that I had to make a few adjustments to how I was living my life in order to gain some balance and I am so very grateful He did.
Maybe there are some areas in your life which you could manage better, delegate or eliminate to make you life less stressful? Ask God to show you if you are unsure of where and what they are. Maybe it’s fine tuning your finances and setting a budget to ease financial pressure or, maybe you just generally need to take better care of yourself i.e eating a more healthy balanced diet, exercising or just having some regular “down time”. Small changes can make big differences!
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you”
Psalm 32:8
So, trust me when I say, (and yes,this method is tried and tested by yours truly!!) that if you start declaring God’s word over your life, rest in Him and keep focused on Him you can live a more peaceful and relaxed life no matter what curveballs get thrown in your direction!
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