What to Do When You Are Overwhelmed
Today’s Verse
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: ~Luke 10:41
Do you ever get overwhelmed? By this, I am referring to feeling forgotten, overloaded, stressed, underappreciated, and anxious. It is one thing to feel overwhelmed with family cares, financial burdens, and long-term illness. It is another thing when we are overwhelmed because we are “cumbered about much serving.”
We see the reason.
Martha was “cumbered about much serving.” The word “cumbered” means that she was over-occupied and too busy about a thing. In short, she was overwhelmed. Some of us have a perfectionist way of doing things, and when things do not match up to our way of doing things, we feel encumbered. Some of us try to do too many things at the same time and realize we have “bit off more than we can handle.” Some of us think that God is pleased when we are involved in much serving, but, in reality, we are doing things for the approval of men instead of the glory of God. We become overwhelmed because we allow our standard for doing things to be elevated over the standard of “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
We see the restlessness.
When we are encumbered, we are restless and lacking in God’s peace. This sets off a chain of sinful reactions. First, we complain. Martha complained about Mary worshipping our Lord. She had less than a graceful spirit about her sister. Instead of seeing serving as a means of worship, she saw serving as work and undeserving labor. Second, she became extremely critical. She criticized Jesus by indicating He did not care. She did not think He was supportive of her endeavors. All criticism we have of others is being critical of our Lord as well. Like Martha, we blame the Lord for being cumbered about much serving.
We see the rebuke.
“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.” Jesus firmly but lovingly corrected Martha about her attitude. He told her that she became anxious, distracted, and disappointed about many things. When we develop a bad, critical, and complaining spirit, it brings out all of the evil that we have been harboring in our hearts. It wasn’t just serving that she was complaining about. Jesus revealed to her that she was selfish, self-willed, proud, unthankful, condescending, and carnal. She was serving for the praise of men and not the praise of God. Our attitude shows when we serve with a carnal spirit.
We see the responsibility.
“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” The focus in our life must be Jesus. “One thing is needful.” The one thing is Jesus. Mary sat and worshipped Jesus. Martha was trying to impress Jesus with her talents and much serving. What she needed to do was, first, sit and listen to the Lord’s words. Some of us are so busy serving that we think it is about us when it should be about the Lord. Be careful of worshipping your service when you should be worshipping the Saviour. “Mary hath chosen that good part.” You choose to have a God-glorifying attitude or one that is nasty and negative. Choose to make your focus Jesus and not anything else. When Jesus is the reason for what we do, the tendency of being overwhelmed is no longer a distraction and a danger.
Have a stress-removed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Numbers 16-17