Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by life? Too many proverbial “irons in the fire” and not enough time to get everything done? Maybe you’re willing to deal with your situation, but just don’t know how. It’s simply too big–way beyond your control and you don’t know what to do. In a word, you’re overwhelmed.
If you’re like me, you think it’s easier to just go on a Tahitian vacation and deal with it later! We’ve probably all felt that way. But for Christians it’s a little confusing because God’s word tells us we’re supposed to live overcoming lives, yet many of us feel like we’re barely hanging on. How can this be?
It was apparently no different for the infamous King David thousands of years ago. He recorded his emotions in Psalm 55:1-2, “Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.” (NLT)
One thing is certain: God never intended us to feel overwhelmed by our life. He spoke through Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (NLT) God always provides a way of escape. But how? What is “the way” and how are we shown?
Even Jesus’ closest friends–the disciples who were with Him everyday–suffered from the same human flaw. As they talked with Jesus after the resurrection, they asked repeatedly, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" (Acts 1:6 NLT)
They were really saying, “Lord, we’re tired. We don’t know how we can go on…” They were hoping Jesus would conquer the Roman Empire immediately, because if not, they faced certain torture and death. They were weary. They were scared. They were overwhelmed.
God, who in His sovereignty knows everything about us, knew we would face situations we couldn’t handle on our own. That’s why He sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, our advocate, our companion in this daily life.
So how does the Holy Spirit help us overcome an overwhelming life? He gives us supernatural power when we need it most by providing us with daily strength beyond our own abilities. (Luke 24:49) He brings new life to our spirits and helps us maintain our relationship with God, our Father. (John 3:6-7) The Holy Spirit reveals spiritual truth to our natural minds so we can understand Scripture and see how it relates to our life. He also–and this is my personal favorite–gives us wise advice. He’s our personal attorney when we’re in over our heads. (John 14:15-18)
So how can we experience God’s power in our everyday life? Three things on our part are critical. First, we can listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He’s always speaking but we must be quiet enough to hear. Then, we must be willing to act on what we hear – regardless of the perceived personal cost. James 1:22 asks us to be “doers” of the Word and not just “hearers”. We must choose to trust God even when it doesn’t make sense.
Finally, let’s rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the strength we need. Paul s said in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
So the next time we’re overwhelmed by life, let’s take the time to stop and listen. The Holy Spirit is speaking. Let’s allow Him to give us the courage to listen and obey in every life situation.