Okay, I get it. The absolute last thing you need when you’re overwhelmed is another list telling you what to do. You’re already drowning in an ocean of relentless demands. You would rather not have Christianese slammed at you when all you want to do is curl under the comforter and hibernate for an embarrassingly long time.

But let me submit that this is not another list of action steps. This is more about slowing down. These three points focus more on our hearts than on our hustle. It’s my prayer that after reading this ‘anti-to-do list’ (for lack of a better term), you’ll be more refreshed and rested.

I’ve been overwhelmed at different points in my life. Overwhelmed by raising two little people under 17 months old who happened to be on opposite nap schedules. Overwhelmed by needing to meet too many deadlines in too little time. Overwhelmed by the task of sorting and packing all our belongings, selling our house and cars, and moving with two little kids across continents.

Overwhelmed by grief. Overwhelmed by uncertainty. Overwhelmed by helplessness.

I have no doubt that, even if your circumstances are different, you can relate to that, “I don’t know where to start” feeling where everything feels out of control and just “too much.”

But here are three things we can “do” to help us through seasons of stress.

1. Remind yourself of Who He is

 When I focus on the crazy stuff going on around me, when I keep my eyes on all the balls I’m trying to juggle, I lose sight of the Sovereign God who is in control of every single detail of my life. And that’s when I start sinking into a cesspool of stress. But can we remind ourselves about the character of God? He knows about Every. Single. Thing. you’re going through. And He will come through for you. Rehearse that truth that He is all-knowing and always faithful and loving.

2. Remember who you are in Him

There’s another little factor in the stress equation: you. When we measure ourselves by the standards of the world, chances are we may not appear “smart enough” or “qualified enough” or “talented enough”—and so we pile the pressure on ourselves. The pressure to perform. The pressure to ensure we get the promotion. The pressure to measure up and make sure everyone else notices that we’ve made it. No wonder we are exhausted and overwhelmed. Can we remind ourselves that in Christ we are not just “enough” but that we are more than conquerors? Can we grasp the truth that what truly matters is how our Creator sees us? In Him, you are beloved, beautiful, and blameless—and so much more!

3. Ask yourself who or what is on the throne of your heart

If we are whizzing about trying to win our boss’s approval, protect our reputation, grow our own influence, widen our audience, feed our appetites for applause, or please everyone around us, then we have probably displaced God from His place at the center of our lives.

Could we evaluate who or what has the first place in our lives? If it’s not Jesus, we are likely to be overwhelmed. If it is, He reminds us that His burden is easy and His yoke is light. He comes alongside us to bear the weight so we can live for His glory.

(I know I said three, but here’s a quick “bonus” point.)

4. Hand over your worries to God

 Pray. Pray. And then pray some more. Pray when you feel like it. But definitely pray when you don’t feel like it. God invites us to cast our cares on Him. He instructs us on how to do that. But he won’t force your hand.

We can be sure that in quietness before Him is the safest place to be vulnerable. We get to hand over to God all the broken pieces that we try so desperately to fix. And we get to rest in the truth that He creates beauty from brokenness.

 

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