March 30, 2011

Are you feeling overwhelmed?

From the Pulpit
By Rev. Gary Hardin

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As I stood in line at the checkout, in front of me was an elderly woman trying to figure out how to work the ATM card reader. I could tell she did not use her card often. She swiped her card but was confused by the other steps: Is this transaction debit or credit? What's your pin number? Is the amount correct? Do you want cash back? All the technology overwhelmed this woman. She stood there not really knowing what to do next.

Other shoppers were standing in line behind me. As you would expect, they were getting impatient. One person in line let out a big sigh as if to say, “Would you please hurry!”

I felt sorry for this person. I've been overwhelmed by technology, too. Thankfully, the cashier assisted this woman and helped her push the buttons necessary to complete her transaction.

What has you feeling overwhelmed? Responsibility overload? Stressful deadlines? Raising kids? Making your marriage work? Digging yourself out of a financial hole? Facing a medical problem? Finding a job? Sometimes life overwhelms the best of us.

Multitudes of people wake up each morning only to face indescribable problems (think what the people of Japan are feeling). When you feel overwhelmed you aren't sure you have the strength to fight anymore. You start wondering, Will I ever make it? It's all so overwhelming.

God's ancient people probably felt overwhelmed as they were camped on the edge of the Promised Land. They knew they would encounter people much bigger and more powerful. So the people said to Moses, their leader, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” (Deuteronomy 7:17).

So what should we do when we feel overwhelmed?

First, show some courage. Moses said to God's people, “Do not be afraid of them” (“them” were the people groups already living in the Promised Land who would have to be driven out).

Can you recall the last time you felt overwhelmed? You might have felt the task facing you was too big to handle, or that you did not have the skills needed to do the job well, or you might have worried you would fail. All these feelings have one thing in common — fear. At the core of feeling overwhelmed is fear.

Do you know what fear does to you? It freezes you, paralyzes you into inaction. You worry. You don't sleep. You don't have the energy to fight. What's happened to you? Fear has you in its grips. Yet, the whole time, our loving Heavenly Father is whispering, “Do not be afraid.”

Second, look for the good things in your mess. Moses reminded the people that earlier they had seen God do some wonderful things for them (like part the waters of the Red Sea).

Sometimes the very things that make us feel overwhelmed also have the potential to bless us and to lead us to greater success. Our job is to stay positive, keep working, and trust God to honor our efforts.

Third, practice the principle of “little by little.” Are you familiar with this principle? It comes from Deuteronomy 7:22: “The Lord your God will drive out these nations before you little by little.” Wow!

The victory would not be won in one super battle. Instead, the victory would come through several smaller skirmishes. So the next time you find yourself fighting a battle, solving a problem or struggling to keep up, remember that you don't have to do everything all at once. Just do a good job of tackling your tasks little by little.

Practice these three steps. They really will help you “hang in there” when you feel overwhelmed.

Gary Hardin is pastor of Enon Grove Baptist Church in Cedar Bluff. He and his wife, Linda, live in Centre. Comments can be sent to: garyhardin@tds.net.