March 17, 2015

…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 (KJV)

Being overwhelmed sometimes is from our own making. There may be things piled on us that are out of our control for some extent but the majority of stressing out and facing burnout is a combination of bad decisions in our time and management of our life.

All of a sudden everything has snowballed and we are weighted down in so many areas that everything starts to crumble. On top of that there are sometimes fears that come along with it. Life can get very complicated in a very big hurry.

When working in ministry it is very easy to get caught up in piling on too much. We have to work at scaling things so that they are manageable. Nobody can do it all--all of the time. As leaders, we have to make better choices.

Here are 10 things that you might have heard before to help guard against stress and burnout, but I think once in a while we all need reminded of them.

1  Consistent Bible Reading and Prayer

The thing that helps me the most when I am feeling overwhelmed is just to get in the Word and go to the Lord in prayer. When it is a daily part of my life, the weight of the many things the press down on me is so much lighter.

Talking to the Lord about our troubles and concerns can give us some much needed peace.

2  Rest

One thing we all need is enough rest. We need a good night’s sleep, especially when we have a lot on our plate. We can’t accomplish anything if we are worn out before we start our day.

Even Jesus knew the value of rest.

3  Eat Healthy

I always feel better when I eat better. It’s a simple thing but we have to eat what’s good for us. We have to take in the right things spiritually too because that can have an effect on whether our spiritual lives are heathy or not.

4  Exercise

Exercise can release stress in a big way even if it is just walking. When we are leaders, how can we help anyone else if we aren’t doing those things that enable us to keep on going?

5  Do Something Pleasurable

There is nothing wrong with doing something fun. We are not to get caught up in the pleasures of the world but we can have fun and relax as a Christian.

We need to do something that makes us laugh sometimes. We need to do something that interests us and inspires us. It might be a hobby or just something that you have always wanted to try.

6  Spend Time with Family and Friends

Our family can help ease our stress. Being around those that love us can be such an enjoyment and blessing to us.

7  Learn to Say “No”

It’s a hard thing for some leaders I know, but learning when to say no has got to be something we learn to do. It will save us so much heartache.

We don’t want to be mumbling, "I should have just said no!" when we end up not coping.

8  Set Boundaries on Your Time

Guarding our time helps us avoid that overwhelming feeling. Sometimes we just need to pace ourselves. We need to take things one day at a time.

It never does anyone any good to try to do a week’s worth of work in one day. Set clear boundaries on when you will and will not work on projects.

9  Learn to Delegate

We have to learn to share the load in ministry. The best leaders find capable people to help. They acquire that knack in delegating tasks and responsibilities to others.

10  Manage Wisely

I think we need to manage all areas of our lives a little better. Part of that might be simplifying and uncluttering areas of our ministry or perhaps even areas of our personal lives. It might be organizing, learning to budget, or rearranging activities and events.

The more things flow in our lives, the less stress we will pile on.

Final Thoughts

Having too much on us can really wear us down. That is why as leaders in women’s ministry we really need the support of others. There is always so much to do. We need help from other women who will help with planning and tasks. We need the support of the pastor and the congregation as we go about our duties. We need the support of prayer.

Above that support though, we really need to make better choices in what we do with our time and how we go about our planning. Most importantly we need to rely on the Lord for our strength.

I think of David and how he relates several times in the Psalms about being "overwhelmed". At each instance he knew where to turn to. He turned to God to help him through and be his strength. I know I need to do that more.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 (KJV)

I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Psalm 77:1-3 (KJV)

I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. Psalm 142:1-3 (KJV)

If you haven’t read through all of Psalm 142 lately, I encourage you to do so. It can be a real blessing when you are stressed and to the point of breaking.

So, do you have an overwhelmed spirit?

Copyright ©March 17, 2015 Julia Bettencourt

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