Overcome Overwhelm: Untangle the Clutter in Your LifeSample

As we start today, first pause and read 2 Corinthians 12:9-11. May this promise bring encouragement as you look into how to handle what is in your control.

In the Old Testament, God used a very unexpected approach to help bring victory to His people. He laid out his strategy in Exodus 23:30. The plan- He will go before them and take the land, not forcibly, but “little by little.” Take that in.

The verse prior (v. 29) explains his reasoning. He recognized if they were to move forward too quickly, two dangers would arise. An aggressive approach would lead to too much abrupt desolation, ill-equipping them to build their new lives successfully. And, a void like this would attract “wild animals.”

I have two questions for you.

1) What’s on the other side of your overwhelm?

Have you envisioned a compelling enough picture of how your life could be or how you would actually feel on the other side of overwhelm? If not, you already have a “void.” Address it! Create a realistic, clear, and compelling vision to help you move forward. (Proverbs 29:18 says it best.)

2) What “wild animals” (e.g. mental clutter, negative thoughts, boundary-less emotions) are creeping in and infiltrating the ground you want to reclaim in your life?

Here’s a few tips to help chase them out. Slow your pace to honor your capacity. Break down each step, smaller and smaller, until you can say, “Well, I can do that!”. Reduce your expectations to match your reality (i.e. your time, energy, resources, etc.).

Watch what happens when you declutter using this little-by-little approach!!

Let’s end with prayer:

Dear God, the wild animals within my thoughts get too much for me. Help me take them captive as I take steps (little by little) to declutter my life. Lead me further away from overwhelm, into a landscape of overflow. Give me a compelling vision of my new land. You are my strength. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you enjoyed this plan and want to unlock more clarity and calm, Robyn has a complimentary, one-page guide to help you discover five thought patterns that create inner clutter, ten thought patterns that create outer clutter, and five ways to declutter it all. Get it here!