Not The Boss Of UsSample

Day One

The Antidote to Overwhelmed

Scripture: Romans 12:2

For the purposes of our effort to put Overwhelmed in its place, we will label the world’s pressures, stresses, expectations, and hard circumstances as Life’s Overwhelmed and its powerful antidote as Truth. Truth stands on an age-old reality that often gets overlooked when Life’s Overwhelmed feels like rising waters ready to drown us. The wonderful thing about Truth is that as soon as it begins to reinform a moment, oxygen fills the air and not only can we breathe easier but peace and hope and joy come along for the ride.

Life’s Overwhelmed is actually a result rather than an issue. In order to deal with it, we have to dig a little deeper to find what invites Overwhelmed into the conversation.

Let’s consider one of the biggest thieves facing a massive portion of society today: performance manifested in the need to hit certain measuring marks in order to be okay. Though the pressures are real, the root source of its message is far from solid. Truth be told, performance-measuring marks are in a constant state of flux, making them hard to hit and especially hard to land as they, with absolute certainty, change.

Rather than buy into and be overwhelmed by performance pressures, why not instead be overwhelmed by purpose and gifting: in-born traits that are unique to each person and make us happy regardless of what culture celebrates at any given moment? Rather than be waylaid by Life’s Overwhelmed, let’s be filled to overflowing with Truth’s hope and grace and love and peace. Rather than compare or compete against people, let’s walk alongside them. Because the common denominator and the part of the picture that often gets blurred in Life’s Overwhelmed are actually what matter most: people—others as well as ourselves. Though hardest to admit or believe, we matter and have significant worth. 

So rather than wait until the fires of Life’s Overwhelmed are blazing, why not take practical steps today and practice drowning out life’s pressures so that we will already be accustomed to saying no when heat rises? We need to let our actions act like a cool drink of water so that we’re fully hydrated—constantly being overwhelmed by Truth rather than caving to overwhelming issues of the world. 

When are you most likely to buy in to performance pressure?