Overwhelmed

“God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

The above verse is often misinterpreted. It says God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, NOT that God will not allow you to feel out of your comfort zone. 

Have you ever had times when you faced more challenges than you could manage: more bills than you can pay, more guests than you can accommodate, more work to do than energy you possess, more information than your mind can process, more emotion than you can deal with, more pain than you can tolerate? 

Whenever we have more of anything than we know what to do with, we feel overwhelmed. It’s as if someone dropped off ten puppies at your house one morning. You might like puppies, but if you don’t have the setup to handle a deluge of dogs, you would feel exhausted by the end of the day.  

So...what are we supposed to do when we feel overwhelmed? 

“When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.” (Psalm 142:3 NLT)

Feeling overwhelmed is a sign that you are in over your head. When you have more than you can handle, hand it over to God. He is like a friend who operates a shelter for the puppies that showed up unexpectedly at your door.  He knows how to manage the impossible. When you feel disoriented, orient your mind in the right direction. Turn to God. Seek His guidance. He will show you the path to take.