Dealing with Overwhelm, by Jane Lynch
How do you handle overwhelm? I’m not convinced that I do a particularly good job. My default mode is to ignore the important to make way for the urgent. I will often prioritise domestic tasks over my writing, or respond to other people's requests for help. If I’m not careful, a whole week can go by, and I’ll be frustrated at my lack of progress.
Jesus was a man with a clear sense of purpose. He knew instinctively when to withdraw from his friends and from the crowds so that he could spend time alone with God. He knew that He needed time to restore himself and stay ‘On Mission’: ‘But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.’ (Luke 5:16, NIV)
How can we be more like Jesus, to make space for the calling that God has put on our hearts, that nobody else is privy to? My church recently did communion a little differently, with someone handing out cards from a basket. My card said: ‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:17: NIV). I’ve since heard this verse again more than once in different contexts. It feels like a nudge from the Holy Spirit. So what is God saying to me through this verse right now?
Other people can’t see into our hearts, only God. So if we’re not listening to Him, we can easily get distracted and drift off course. If the people around us aren’t aware of our mission, they can often be the source of distraction. If I haven’t claimed my time, other people will! This has been happening to me more than I’d like, and in common with most well-intentioned people, I find it hard to say no! But the calling to use the written word to bless others and fulfil God’s purpose is a quiet one. It’s not as obvious as getting involved in an evangelism outreach project, but it’s no less important. I need to learn to value my time and my calling if I’m going to be effective at what I was put on this earth to do. I can only achieve that if I’m listening to God and arranging my time accordingly.
This verse also reassures me that I don’t need to be concerned about what others think. So when I say no to a request for help, I don’t need to feel guilty or to think I’m letting someone down. I don’t have a responsibility to the person asking for my help, but I do have a responsibility to God. I read somewhere that if a request gives you a heart-sinking feeling, then it’s probably not the right thing for you to do! We are only human, after all. We can’t be all things to all people.
My prayer today is that we learn to focus on God and His calling so that we have ample time to use our talents and get our written words to the right audience.
Jane lives on the south coast and loves to write when she is not busy working on the committee as ACW treasurer. She started blogging on the ‘Medium’ platform during the pandemic and has a backlog of material there. She is hoping to resume work on her first novel again soon.
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