How do you deal with being overwhelmed? is it God, or something else?

Greetings to everyone, It is the time of year where the days are getting shorter but the activities are increasing. Whether it involves schools, kids, grandchildren, holidays, birthdays, fairs, or any other of a multitude of things, there are many things going on.

These are all in addition to events that occur in our daily lives. How do people manage to keep things straight and working smooth? How do YOU keep everything going in your life?

The other day I was listening to an old Bob Seger song called “Against The Wind”. That song makes me think about the things I have experienced during my life, and not all of them were good.

As with most people, I keep moving forward in life looking to make my life better and to help others do the same. That seems to be idealistic, and it is, because not everything in our lives works out like we want it to. Too often the mistakes we make don’t teach us the lessons we need to learn.

We keep running against the wind. There are several people I have met that seem to “have it together”. I have dared to ask a few of them what keeps them going. Why have they been successful while others haven’t? I have gotten varying answers about being lucky, or learning from the school of hard knocks. Others have said they were in the right place at the right time and things just fell into place. Fortunately, I have found there is more to it than luck or the results of mistakes.

The truly honest answer most of them will confess is that they are blessed. They rightfully admit that they have not done everything right in their lives. They admit that they have made errors in judgment and mistakes that may have cost them much but through it all, God never abandoned them. The people I am talking about are not necessarily wealthy or pillars of the community, but they are good people.

People you might see everyday walking on the street, or people you see at work. We all know them and we can all learn from them. They are the ones that don’t let anything bother them.

They are the ones that set an example for others to follow, especially when it comes to helping other people. The Bible talks a lot about loving and caring for others. Matthew 22, verses 37 - 39 say it best, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is a powerful lesson to learn and obey! When we love Jesus, accept Him as Lord and Savior, and follow Him, our lives start to make more sense. All of a sudden, we are not always “fighting a head wind”. Some of the answers we were looking for start to come to us.

When we look at the needs of others and help them, then our problems don’t seem so big. When we trust the Lord, we are trusting someone bigger than ourselves. There is no problem too big for our God.

So what have I learned in life? What do I hope you learn? Don’t fight your problems alone. If we ask, God will fight our battles and direct our paths so that He will be honored. The Bible tells the story of a young man named David fighting a giant called Goliath.

The moral of the story is that David didn’t worry about the size of Goliath because he (David) knew that his God was bigger.

The same should hold true for us. Our God is bigger than any problem we might face. If you are looking for satisfaction and happiness, don’t chase popularity or wealth. Look to God and see what he wants you to do. Let him guide you through the rough patches you have to deal with and follow him.

That is when you find what you’re looking for and what you need. Will you become rich or popular? I don’t know. What I do know is that you will be a shining example for others to follow. People will look up to you and say “there goes someone who has it all together”. Grace and mercy to each of you.