Are you able? Are you enough? Do you have what it takes?

Life still got the best of you?  Are you worn out, dog tired, frustrated, defeated, or anxiety ridden?  Feeling so overwhelmed and like you just can't go on?  I've been there!  And I can say that with God's help, I have learned how to cope!

In the previous three blog posts, we've considered best practices for overcoming anxiety and that general sense of dread by using the example of a work-induced weight on our shoulders. 

​First we identified and analyzed the root of the issue, then we developed a strategy to deal directly with the issue.  To conclude let's consider that man in the Bible who is perhaps best known for articulating his feelings.  He was a man crushed on all sides at different points in his life, yet he always managed to shift his gaze back to God - no matter what. 

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of David in the Bible? 

You might say things like:

• he was brave
• he was a man after God's heart
• he was a murdered and adulterer
• he wrote many of the Old Testament Psalms ​ 

As we consider those feelings of dread and anxiety, let's consider how King David handle feeling so overwhelmed in his life.  We can apply his methods to our own situations, whether work induced or emotional/spiritual.   David's life at times was tumultuous.  Did he develop any habits that we could also practice to help us embrace a healthier mindset?

Psalm 142 was penned when David was hiding in a cave, feeling overwhelmed and fearing for his life.  In this psalm, as in many of those penned by David, he consistently does several things that might offer us a recipe for overcoming those feelings of dread and anxiety.

1.  Cry out to God. Pray.
2.  Tell Him your complaints and troubles.
3.  Praise God and thank Him for His deliverance.

It's really very simple.  When we find ourselves in those dark moments  like David when his spirit was overwhelmed within him, we can reach for the One who is there beside us, pour out our troubles to Him, and then expect to soon be thanking our Father for helping us to make it through such tough times.    He will also help us to develop a game plan to escape, to regroup, and to suit up for the next round.  Even in our most exhausting moments, we are not alone.  Try stopping just for a second to remember you have Someone waiting to help you!

I love how David ends with GRATITUDE!  We should too!