“A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.”
(Lysa TerKeurst from her latest book The Best Yes)
After hearing this truth, I can’t seem to get it out of my heart. In fact, I desire for it to stay there….for good. This truth resonates so deeply in my soul and it makes sense after really digesting it fully. Why? Because this is where I live. This is so often my life in a nutshell. I feel pulled in so many directions. And many of those directions are good things! Yet some of those directions are my own human flesh. Things I want for myself. Things that aren’t part of God’s plan for me.
Oh how I long to fully embrace God’s purpose for me in every area of my life. Every area. My marriage. My parenting. My relationships with friends. Anything God calls me to do.
So if I am feeling overwhelmed, something is wrong. Very wrong. Overwhelmed is not a word I see Jesus using to describe his calling while upon this earth. Overwhelmed is not a word listed in the fruits of the spirit. Overwhelmed is not supposed to be something that describes a follower of Jesus.
Yet we use this word frequently to describe our lives:
I’m overwhelmed with my job.
I’m overwhelmed with my kids’ demands.
I’m overwhelmed with my husband’s expectations.
I’m overwhelmed with serving people.
I’m overwhelmed with everything.
Can you relate to this truth? Do you feel stressed out with an overwhelmed schedule? Do any of the above statements resonate with you? We’re certainly not alone.
So what’s the answer to feeling overwhelmed with all the things we feel pulled to do? Or feel pulled to be?
I do know for certain that my Jesus calls me to rest in Him. To give my burdens to Him. To surrender my soul to Him. The central verse for my life is from the words of Jesus in Matthew,“Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” While I cling to this truth with my entire being, sometimes I just need something practical to flesh out what this really looks like.
One thing I will be doing over the days ahead is reading the book by Lysa TerKeurst called The Best Yes. I can already tell it’s going to be profound and speak to where I live. I recommend it to you as well, dear friend.
In the meantime, I’m going to be looking closely at my schedule to make sure it’s God’s schedule. Anything outside of that will bring stress. I want to replace my stress with His rest!
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.”
Lisa Preuett~Rest Stop for the Soul 
It’s hard to pare down a busy schedule once that becomes our norm. I was inspired by Lysa’s quote, too, and will be on a mission for the rest of the year to simplify and find His voice in my activities.
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Thanks for your comment Bonny! It was such a blessing to meet you at the conference. Praying for God to slow me down to enjoy what He has planned for me in the days to come. Looking forward to catching up with you at your blog too. My husband is very interested in me checking out your blog too! 🙂
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That’s good, Lisa! There was one main message God spoke to me during this conference and that was, [Seek my face every morning before you start your day, before you do anything else, even before you do what I’ve called you to do]. We all have overwhelming schedules, but I believe if we start our day, no matter how full our day is, by spending time with Jesus in prayer and praise, he will give us the REST we need in our souls for that day. God bless you, Lisa!
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Thanks for commenting Barbara! I don’t always get this perfect every day, but I am learning to drop to my knees first thing in the morning before I start making the bed and get distracted with all I need to do. There is so much peace in starting my day in prayer with Jesus.
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Since my retirement several years ago, I don’t really find myself overwhelmed with “schedules of things that I need to do”, but I do find myself often overwhelmed by thoughts, concerns, worries, and burdens that I just need to “let go and let God”. So, thanks, for this blog, Lisa. Really made me stop and “think on these thoughts” and once again turn my every thought and problem over to the ONE who is able to take care of them.
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Yes! Loved this message… very timely in my own life! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for your comment on here JoAnn. I really appreciate it. I too can get overwhelmed with concerns and worries when I take my eyes off of Jesus. So glad He is faithful to us even when we choose to get off track sometimes. Be blessed!
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Thanks for your comment Darby. I can’t wait to read Lysa’s latest book. Still trying to process everything I heard this past weekend.
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