When My Heart Is Overwhelmed
The world can be overwhelming at times. The news, social media, and our daily life can all cause feelings of chaos to be stirred inside us, and we momentarily forget who is ultimately in charge. I know this happens to me at times, and I feel as if I lose focus on God. Whether it be for a few minutes or a whole day, when this occurs, it can be frightening. Thankfully, I know where to turn.
“When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
What are some practical ways we can stay grounded and rooted in faith, no matter what life brings?
Give thanks. I have written articles previously on the importance of giving thanks that you can find here and here. Praying and expressing your gratitude to the Lord will automatically improve your mood and help you remember what is important in your life and why. It will help ground you again and remind you of all the ways God has blessed you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) tells us to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Spend at least 5 minutes in silence. Allow your mind to be still for just a moment. Use this time to listen for God to speak. Conversations usually include two people, but most of the time, we only ever talk to Jesus and never give Him time to respond. You would never do that to another person, they would probably say you could not pick up on social cues or may even call you rude. So why would we not give room for God to speak?
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Remember whose you are. You are the Lord’s. You are chosen. You are a child of God and his heir. (1 John 3:1, John 1:12, Galatians 4:7, Romans 9:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NIV))
Meditate on God’s word. Read the word, pray on it, and give yourself time to absorb it and process the words (Psalm 119:9-16 NIV).
Focus on what is true, pure, noble, and excellent. I wrote an article concerning our thoughts that you can find here. When we take control of our thoughts, we keep the enemy out of our mind. This allows room for whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8 NIV). These are the things that should shape our thoughts.
There are so many ways we can get distracted in this world, but we can find hope in Jesus. I pray you know the One who is in control. If not, please reach out to us, and we will gladly share with you how you can have hope and peace in Jesus. Remember, when your heart is overwhelmed, allow yourself to be led to the Rock that is higher.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Whitney can be described by the opening lyrics of a few Tom Petty songs. She's a good girl who grew up in a small Indiana town who loves her mama, Jesus, and America, too. She practices medicine as a physician assistant at an urgent care, and is a certified health coach. Whitney is a music enthusiast and leads worship at her church. She has a heart for people, and wants to help young girls and women find their worth in Christ rather than what the world says of them. Whitney loves a good dad joke, Southern manners, holistic wellness, attempting macrame crafts, and hiking and traveling with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Milly.