When You Feel Overwhelmed and Anxious
This past week, I had the privilege of coaching a group of leaders, and we spent some time talking about what it feels like to be overwhelmed and anxious. At one point, I asked them, “Do you remember where you were on 9/11 when you first heard the news about the terrorist attacks?” Every single person remembered. We may remember different details, but we all remember the fear and uncertainty of that day.
The reality is, most of us know what it feels like to be overwhelmed and anxious. I’m certainly no stranger to anxiety. In fact, I’ve wrestled with it since I was a child. And if I’m honest, the church hasn’t always known what to do with anxiety. I heard plenty of sermons about how worry was a sin. So, instead of simply feeling anxious, I also felt guilty for feeling anxious. I didn’t want to worry. I didn’t want to feel overwhelmed. And yet, those feelings seemed to show up at the most unexpected times.
Over the years, I’ve learned something important: what I needed wasn’t more guilt about my anxiety. I needed to know what to do with it.
What I needed wasn’t guilt over my feelings: I needed a plan to overcome them.
Maybe you can relate. You have your own anxieties and stressors. Perhaps you’re worried about a family situation, facing a deadline at work, or carrying fears about your health or the future.
When anxiety begins to rise, we’re often left with one big question: How do I trust God in the middle of all this?
As I’ve studied the Psalms, I’ve discovered something that has helped me tremendously. The Psalmists modeled a simple rhythm for bringing their anxious hearts to God—one we can practice in our own lives.
First, they poured out their hearts in prayer.
Then, they shifted their focus to praise.
I love how honest the Psalmists were with God. They didn’t clean up their emotions or pretend everything was fine. They poured out their hearts just as they were. Sometimes their prayers were gut-wrenchingly honest. David wrote, “I am worn out from my groaning” (Psalm 6:6). On another occasion, he prayed, “Strike all my enemies in the jaw” (Psalm 3:7). Pretty honest, right?!
Author Dan Allender puts it this way: “No section of the Bible teaches us the language of the soul better than the Psalms, which reflect the movement of the human heart in rich, evocative, and startling language.”1
The Psalmists didn’t end their prayers in panic. Instead, they shifted their focus to praising God. Praises such as, “From the Lord comes deliverance” (Psalm 3:9) and “I will sing praises of the name of the Lord Most High” (Psalm 7:17).
When we adopt the rhythm of the Psalmists, we pave a path for our weakness to connect with God’s strength. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “For my weakness becomes a portal for God’s power” (2 Corinthians 12:10 The Passion Translation).
Paul’s words remind me of what happens when a cancer victim receives chemotherapy. A small incision is made in the patient’s body, and then a port is positioned. The port is like a vessel that carries the Chemo to the patient’s sick cells. Anxiety is our weakness. It is like a cancer of the soul. As we pour out our fears to the Lord, we cut open our souls before Him. Then when we shift our focus, praise becomes the port. As we praise God, His strength and peace pour into our hearts.
Paul wrote out this very specific plan for the Philippian believers. He wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). He went on to write, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy Think about such things. (Philippians 4:8).
In other words, Paul is prompting the same plan that the Psalmist used: pour out your heart in prayer, then shift your focus to praise. The next time you feel overwhelmed or anxious, try it. Pour out all your feelings and concerns before the Lord. Then switch your focus to praise and praise Him for His character. I guarantee peace will comfort your soul like a warm weighted blanket.
This Week on The Connected Mom Podcast, we have a conversation with author, speaker, and coach Linda Goldfarb about how to trust the Lord with anxiety related to your adult kids. If you have adult kids, or kids who are almost adults, you don’t want to miss this conversation!
Please pray! Steve and I will be in Greece for the next two weeks, leading a Footsteps of Paul trip. Pray for us as we open the Word of God with the 27 people who are going. Pray for health and no emergencies back home while we are gone, and finally, pray that those who are going will experience a life-changing encounter with Jesus.
- Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper LongmanIII, The Cry of the Soul 3 ↩︎