What to do when you are overwhelmed! - Matthew 9:35-38
What to do when you are overwhelmed! - Matthew 9:35-38
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 20, 2019
Often when we feel overwhelmed we have a tendency want to crawl into a dark space and curl up and go to sleep. However one of the best things we can do is to seek the encouragement, comfort and help of others. It can be difficult to do because we tend to think that others would not understand what we are going through but this simply isn’t true. We can look at Jesus and how he responded when he felt overwhelmed.
Jesus’ life has been exceedingly busy. From the “leper, the centurion’s servant, the mother-in-law of Peter, the dealings with the impulsive scribe and the hesitating disciple, the stilling of the storm and mastery of the unseen legions of evil, the forgiving of sin, and welcoming of repentant sinners, the healing of the chronic invalid by the way, the raising of the dead damsel, and the restoring of sight to the blind and speech to the dumb” we find Jesus doing the work of the kingdom of God. When life is overwhelming what do you do? Let’s find out what Jesus does…
READ: Matthew 9:35-38
The first thing we discover is the fact that…
I. We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life! (Vv. 35-36)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
1. When we get so busy that we forget why we were busy in the first place we often forget about what we are truly trying to accomplish. We discover here that Jesus was very busy going “through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” We learn that he was not focused on himself but rather on those who truly needed his help. And here is a wonderful truth: We can get so caught up in trying to get done what we think is expedient that we forget those around us that need our attention. We can forget that the two most important things in life are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” When we focus on God and what he desires first we can find the rest we need to face “loving” others as well! Even Jesus took time to get away to pray and spiritually recharge (Matthew 14:23) and went off to pray. I have discovered that those who focus on the wrong things in life often get frustrated, distracted, depressed, and disillusioned. However, notice what occurs when we do focus on what we are supposed to: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus saw the real need and not what he thought the need was. He focused his efforts on what he knew God desired of him. Compassion is the result of refocusing our lives on the things God truly desires. People all around us, including family members, are “harassed and helpless” without the comforting presence of Jesus in their life. We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life!
EXAMPLE: He sat across from me and related that his recent promotion, which would take him out of Sunday Worship with his family, was the right thing to do because it meant more money and a promotion. Yet his wife, his children, and those in his church were worried about this because he was still a weak Christian. He related to me, “Pastor, don’t you think that God is blessing me with this opportunity?” Like a lot of folks he was equating more money and personal recognition with the blessings of God and sure God can do so but when you have to ask so that your doubts can be reaffirmed, it just isn’t the case. Soon he was no longer in church or praying with his wife. He became stressed by his life. We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life!
We also discover that…
II. We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help! (Vv. 37-38)
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
1. We know that Jesus did spend time in personal prayer and reflection. He had to in order to remain focused in the ministry he was supposed to do. However notice that he never lost his ability to see beyond himself – you know -- the big picture. In doing so Jesus also knew he needed help. Often when we are frustrated, stressed, or ready to crawl into our personal ball we fail to understand that we are not alone. This is the time we need to ask for help; after all Jesus did and if he did I think we should as well. Jesus then turns to his followers and relates, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Now folks the harvest for the unsaved and lost is always and will always be plentiful. We do not need to worry about not having enough folks to share the good news with! Yet, I have seen far too many pastors, ministry leaders and volunteers burn out and bail out when all they needed to do was ask for help. Even Paul related that we are to “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13 NIV)” And notice Jesus not only tacitly asks his disciples for help by reminding them that the “harvest is plentiful but the workers few” Jesus also tells them to “Ask the Lord of the harvest” for help! I’ve said it before and I will remind you right now, prayer is more than begging or pleading with God to join in on your personal concocted scheme. Prayer is where you go to him in personal private conversation and talk to him about what he desires you to do and ask him how you can do it and where you can go for help. Far too many believers wait until they are stressed out, then they plead with God and when he doesn’t answer right away or the way they think he should they get frustrated even more. In all the years I have pastored I have noticed that when folks come to me and say, “I’m not being fed” it usually means they are not where they need to be with the Lord. They are spending too much time focusing on themselves. We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help!
EXAMPLE: I sat with my fellow deacons as they discussed what they were going to do with the pastor of our church. He was, in their eyes, not doing what they thought he should be doing. They argued back and forth for some time and so being the new deacon and all I asked if I could ask a question. They agreed and so I asked, “How many of you have asked to pray with him or to help him with his work load?” I was shocked at the silence because no had. I had honestly asked the question I did because I wanted to know how they were responding to what looked like to me a pastor who needed encouragement and help. He had been too proud to ask for help and they had been too proud to offer it. And by the way, I had been going in and praying with the pastor on a weekly basis for months. We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help!
Conclusion:
We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life! We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 20, 2019
Often when we feel overwhelmed we have a tendency want to crawl into a dark space and curl up and go to sleep. However one of the best things we can do is to seek the encouragement, comfort and help of others. It can be difficult to do because we tend to think that others would not understand what we are going through but this simply isn’t true. We can look at Jesus and how he responded when he felt overwhelmed.
Jesus’ life has been exceedingly busy. From the “leper, the centurion’s servant, the mother-in-law of Peter, the dealings with the impulsive scribe and the hesitating disciple, the stilling of the storm and mastery of the unseen legions of evil, the forgiving of sin, and welcoming of repentant sinners, the healing of the chronic invalid by the way, the raising of the dead damsel, and the restoring of sight to the blind and speech to the dumb” we find Jesus doing the work of the kingdom of God. When life is overwhelming what do you do? Let’s find out what Jesus does…
READ: Matthew 9:35-38
The first thing we discover is the fact that…
I. We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life! (Vv. 35-36)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
1. When we get so busy that we forget why we were busy in the first place we often forget about what we are truly trying to accomplish. We discover here that Jesus was very busy going “through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” We learn that he was not focused on himself but rather on those who truly needed his help. And here is a wonderful truth: We can get so caught up in trying to get done what we think is expedient that we forget those around us that need our attention. We can forget that the two most important things in life are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” When we focus on God and what he desires first we can find the rest we need to face “loving” others as well! Even Jesus took time to get away to pray and spiritually recharge (Matthew 14:23) and went off to pray. I have discovered that those who focus on the wrong things in life often get frustrated, distracted, depressed, and disillusioned. However, notice what occurs when we do focus on what we are supposed to: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus saw the real need and not what he thought the need was. He focused his efforts on what he knew God desired of him. Compassion is the result of refocusing our lives on the things God truly desires. People all around us, including family members, are “harassed and helpless” without the comforting presence of Jesus in their life. We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life!
EXAMPLE: He sat across from me and related that his recent promotion, which would take him out of Sunday Worship with his family, was the right thing to do because it meant more money and a promotion. Yet his wife, his children, and those in his church were worried about this because he was still a weak Christian. He related to me, “Pastor, don’t you think that God is blessing me with this opportunity?” Like a lot of folks he was equating more money and personal recognition with the blessings of God and sure God can do so but when you have to ask so that your doubts can be reaffirmed, it just isn’t the case. Soon he was no longer in church or praying with his wife. He became stressed by his life. We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life!
We also discover that…
II. We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help! (Vv. 37-38)
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
1. We know that Jesus did spend time in personal prayer and reflection. He had to in order to remain focused in the ministry he was supposed to do. However notice that he never lost his ability to see beyond himself – you know -- the big picture. In doing so Jesus also knew he needed help. Often when we are frustrated, stressed, or ready to crawl into our personal ball we fail to understand that we are not alone. This is the time we need to ask for help; after all Jesus did and if he did I think we should as well. Jesus then turns to his followers and relates, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Now folks the harvest for the unsaved and lost is always and will always be plentiful. We do not need to worry about not having enough folks to share the good news with! Yet, I have seen far too many pastors, ministry leaders and volunteers burn out and bail out when all they needed to do was ask for help. Even Paul related that we are to “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13 NIV)” And notice Jesus not only tacitly asks his disciples for help by reminding them that the “harvest is plentiful but the workers few” Jesus also tells them to “Ask the Lord of the harvest” for help! I’ve said it before and I will remind you right now, prayer is more than begging or pleading with God to join in on your personal concocted scheme. Prayer is where you go to him in personal private conversation and talk to him about what he desires you to do and ask him how you can do it and where you can go for help. Far too many believers wait until they are stressed out, then they plead with God and when he doesn’t answer right away or the way they think he should they get frustrated even more. In all the years I have pastored I have noticed that when folks come to me and say, “I’m not being fed” it usually means they are not where they need to be with the Lord. They are spending too much time focusing on themselves. We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help!
EXAMPLE: I sat with my fellow deacons as they discussed what they were going to do with the pastor of our church. He was, in their eyes, not doing what they thought he should be doing. They argued back and forth for some time and so being the new deacon and all I asked if I could ask a question. They agreed and so I asked, “How many of you have asked to pray with him or to help him with his work load?” I was shocked at the silence because no had. I had honestly asked the question I did because I wanted to know how they were responding to what looked like to me a pastor who needed encouragement and help. He had been too proud to ask for help and they had been too proud to offer it. And by the way, I had been going in and praying with the pastor on a weekly basis for months. We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help!
Conclusion:
We can be overwhelmed when we focus on the wrong things in life! We can become overwhelmed when do not ask for help!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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