When you feel overwhelmed
Do you ever feel as if the task before you is too much for you to accomplish?
Are there times when you wonder how you will ever be able to do the job you are being asked to do?
Most of us can recall being inadequate and insufficient for the responsibilities being entrusted to us. Each time I added a new baby to our family mix I would have a sudden wave of panic. How would there ever be enough time, energy, and patience to fulfill my role as mother?
When you are new at a job position and the questions and demands are coming at you faster than the answers it can be overwhelming. If you are leading a group, teaching a class or involved in ministry you may be straining to meet needs, encourage and equip others, and finding yourself in desperate need of resources and more co-laborers.
BUILDING IN THE WILDERNESS
While traveling through the wilderness, God told the children of Israel to build Him a tabernacle. He would fill it with His glory because He wanted them to understand His desire to dwell among them. He wanted them to understand He is not only the High and Holy God of heaven but He wants to be their God and “tabernacle” with them.
The instructions for the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness were very precise and specific. Exact details were given to Moses. The measurements, the materials, the colors of thread, the embellishments, the furnishings and their placement, even the recipe for holy anointing oil were all clearly specified. If you read Exodus 30, you could better appreciate the exactness with which God spoke His directions. It was a tremendous undertaking that required creative skill and resources. But when God has a plan, He has appointed people to help execute His work and fulfill His purposes.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘See I have called by name Bezalel … and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works …’” Exodus 31:3-4
A HOUSE MADE WITHOUT HANDS
Thousands of years later, He would take on flesh and come as a baby, to be with man. God’s amazing love for His people is demonstrated throughout Scripture by His desire to be together. For those of us who live after the cross, we have the Holy Spirit, sent to live within us. We are now the tabernacle of God, the dwelling place of the High and Holy God.
God provided the worker and anointed Him with His power to execute the plan. He will do the same for you and me. Be encouraged, if the responsibility you are facing is God’s plan He will supply the appointed, anointed workers. If you are thinking your plan is not as holy think again! Raising a family is a tremendous undertaking requiring wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all manner of workmanship; as is being an employee entrusted with projects, or any leader of people or participator in life.
“For we are His workmanship; created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
What you are doing for the glory of God has eternal and everlasting influence. If you are feeling overwhelmed and underprepared, you can rest assured, He equips the called. He will sustain you and make provision for your every need whither it is ideas; people to help you, or resources.
Today, as I anticipate the work to be done on a project I believe God has asked me to do, I am encouraged to take this to heart. I pray for you to join me in thanking God that we are His workmanship. We are inadequate and unable but by the power of His Spirit we have wisdom to do things we are not educated or trained for. We lean not on our own understanding but we draw insight from Him. We have creative and original ideas because He is creator of all. We are not fearful or timid because we know he prepared our good work beforehand and God always completes what He starts.
In Jesus name, let’s be about our business with Christ confidence!
