Overwhelmed

...In this world you will have trouble... John 16:33b NIV

Jesus tells us in John 16:33a that in Him, we have peace and in 16:33c that He has overcome the world. In the middle of that, He tells us that we will have trouble in this world. Noting that Jesus equips us with peace and the ability to deal with this trouble, I want to focus on it in this post.

Today was rough. There wasn't anything that was particularly bad going on, I just felt overwhelmed by a bunch of little things. Each by itself was not a big deal, but as I thought about all of them, it became too much to bear. I felt like I should have been able to handle it and I became irritated with myself because I knew that the emotional response I was having was not equal to the issues I was facing.

But there I was all the same, crying for what seemed like no reason at all. Have you ever been there? Trying to get it together because you know you have the peace of Christ and the ability to overcome the world through Him, but completely at a loss on how to do so because it all feels like too much? I assessed why I was upset; identified relevant factors (like HALT - hungry, angry, lonely, tired); and prayed, but nothing really helped me feel better.

It was a very awkward space. Ultimately, I decided I was just going to feel overwhelmed and even though I felt that way, I could trust that John 16:33a and 16:33c were true and I could move forward with the day. Trouble takes on many forms. Sometimes, we have to embrace it so we can overcome it. Acknowledging trouble doesn't mean we welcome it, rather we accept that truth it is happening and apply our faith in Christ in it.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. 

John 16:33 NIV