3 Steps to Conquering Your Feelings of Defeat and Overwhelm

Trying to manage the schedules, the activities, the appointments, the work commitments, all while attempting to stay ahead of meal-planning, keeping the house in order and spending time with family? It keeps us on our toes and takes us to our knees in exhaustion and hopefully, in prayer.  

Many days we feel as if we are in last place with no hope of crossing the finish line.

There is a story in scripture of a man, David, who is charged to fight against a warrior of incredible strength and stature, named Goliath. Just like David felt ill-equipped as he stood staring at the huge and frightening thought of being able to fight or even defeat this giant, I often question if I have the strength to move forward with all that is in front of me.  

So what do I do when I need strength?  How do I find hope when I’m facing the everyday battles, big or small?

Here are three steps to help you conquer your feelings of defeat when all that’s in front of you seems so overwhelming:

1. God is ALWAYS the first line of defense. He gives us the wisdom we need and the strength to walk in that wisdom.  In His word we find affirmation that we can do ALL things through Him. We find hope and assurance.  When we go to God with our worry, fear, or exhaustion, we find peace and possibility. When we choose God in our times of overwhelm, He reminds us that we are more than conquerors because He is with us, and He has so much planned for us.  

2. Your  husband is your second line of defense. He listens and offers his unique brand of gentle wisdom that comes from hopefully, his own relationship with the Father.  But even if your husband isn’t a believer, your husband sees things differently than you, and that is a gift. After God, go to your husband with a willing heart to hear his encouragement and/or input.

3. Your third line of defense is your community. Women who support and encourage you while holding you accountable to walk out chaos in faith and the strength of the Lord.  These women ask the tough questions and challenge you to think differently. They are the army that God has assembled around you, cheering you to victory. Don’t have a community of Godly support? Join our A Wife Like Me Gathering, and get plugged into a local church.

God designed us to have a unique, intimate relationship with Him, where we can run toward Him in our weakness and walk forward with His strength.  He created us to seek wisdom, find it; to know where to find the stones and the sling, and know how to use them to beat off the enemy.  

Life doesn’t have to be chaotic.  We don’t have to try to manage it all on our own.  We have a Father in Heaven who loves us, wants to walk alongside us, rejoicing in our victories and carrying us through our defeats. 

For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.  (Deuteronomy 20:4)

Wife Step: How are you managing the ‘unmanageable’ in your life?  Do you have a system of wisdom, support, and encouragement in place?  Are you making God the number one line of defense against the enemy? If not, take action today to make sure you seek Him first, and that you have a solid foundation of support to help you face any Goliath that sneaks in and stops you in your tracks.

Betty Predmore is a writer, blogger, speaker, and ministry leader. She is a licensed Christ-based counselor and is Co-founder of the Women of Virtue Empowerment Network, a faith-based non profit organization created for the purpose of inspiring and encouraging women to find help and hope in Jesus Christ. She is also founder of Mom-Sense: Making Sense of Motherhood, where she writes and speaks on motherhood issues. Betty loves to speak at events, sharing practical life application mingled with God’s word, and sprinkled with humor.  She enjoys sharing her blogs on social media as a way of reaching out on a broader spectrum.  Social media has given her a platform to reach much farther than her feet could take her.