Overloaded?

Are you a kind, loving, concerned Christian? An active pray-er and a do-er? The person they call when they need help?
Ask yourself why you are doing all of this.

Is it to please others? Is it to please God? We cannot save and cure a needy and hurting world with our own strength and talent. We cannot earn our way to God.

If you find yourself taking on problems of others, becoming well-versed in all the details of their lives, then you need to pause and take stock of what’s going on.

It’s good to be concerned!
There’s a good side of being involved in others’ lives: it helps develop our compassion and mercy, it demonstrates kindness. Christians are expected to be hard-working and conscientious. People are helped; they are grateful. Our active participation can lead us to a deeper prayer life. We can be used by God.

It’s not good to be overloaded!
There’s another side. It’s the overloaded side of being involved: it can become an obsession. Those hurting people can become dependent upon us as their only source of a listening ear. We can get entangled in their affairs.

Our time is consumed more and more. We may neglect, irritate, or even alienate our own families. When we get weighted down with the problems of the world we can wear down the body’s immune system. We become vulnerable to physical problems and emotional problems.

If we are “man-pleasers” eventually we run out of time, energy, and bright ideas. Stress and frustration can lead to burnout.
In addition to ordinary time management techniques consider these spiritual safeguards to help avoid becoming overloaded.

Twelve Safeguards:

1. Listen to God. Ask God if you are to become involved in the matter. Ask Him to show you the extent that He wants you to be in it. If He does not call you to do this, relinquish it and relax. He may have someone else for this assignment, or He may want you to have a limited part in it.

2. Feed yourself FIRST. Start the day like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet. Don’t let all of the Martha tasks crowd out this time of intimacy with the Lord. Throughout the day have Scripture close at hand so you can refill your mind with His powerful promises.

3. Pray with confidence. After you’ve prayed with and for the hurting person remember Who’s been listening. (I John 4:21-22)

4. Point them to Jesus. The hurting person(s) need Jesus more than anything else in all the world. Salvation is first. They need to know they can go directly to Him and pour out their hearts to Him. Show them Bible verses that will help them learn about our wonderful Lord. Encourage them to pray aloud to Him after you’ve prayed aloud over them.

5. Point them to their Father. Many people are hurting because they did not have a father who understood them and gave them attention. Perhaps they had an abusive father. Point them to our Heavenly Father who loves them unconditionally. Show them Bible verses that teach these important facts.

6. Point them to the Holy Spirit. They need the power of the Holy Spirit. Show them Bible verses that point them to the wonderful truth of God in us. If we — or they— try to do everything excellently on our own we are setting ourselves up for a fall. Only by the indwelling Holy Spirit can we please God.

7. Let go. As the tales of woe and prayer requests pile up, take them daily directly to the foot of the Cross. Leave them there. By His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 and I Peter 2:24) Jesus Christ paid the penalty, the price for our sin. (Romans 5:8-9) We must not carry these burdens back with us!

8. Praise God. Turn Satan’s bad news back onto him. Praise God. Thank God for every possible aspect of the situation that comes to mind. Then thank Him for the things you don’t even understand. He can intervene and do wondrous things. Put on the garment of praise. (Isaiah 61:3) The joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

9. Keep in balance. The Lord has made us body, soul, and spirit. Each part needs attention and care. Do not get out of balance. Every day we need rest, good healthy food, fun with our family, light-hearted leisure, exercise. We need a regularly scheduled Sabbath rest.

10. Give Him glory. Be careful you do not turn out to be the “indispensable person.” There’s almost a glory in being over-involved. People look at us like we’re plaster saints. They clamor that they need our prayers, as if we are the only ones who have God’s phone number. We must be very careful that this does not feed our ego. Who is interested in stoking our ego? It is not God; it is Satan.

11. Keep confidentiality. It is vital that you agree on the limits of the information you are acquiring from the hurting person. To repeat it to other people makes you recite the woes over and over. Set a limit.

12. Enlist a personal intercessor. Pray that the Lord will help you find a person who will back you in prayer when you are doing the work of ministry. Each active intercessor, each church worker, each pastor and teacher needs at least one personal intercessor. Like Moses at the battleground we need the help of Aaron and Hur. (Exodus 17:10-12)

You can be a blessing!

There is a tremendous blessing in being faithful and obedient to the Lord. You will be a blessing to others and you will bless yourself and build yourself up on your most holy faith.

Make a new beginning today. Repent and be converted. God will send times of refreshing and bring the restoration of all things. (Acts 3:19)

God will equip us
with everything good
for doing His will
and He will work in us
what is pleasing to Him,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
for ever and ever.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)

By His grace we will avoid becoming overloaded. Praise the Lord!
# # #
by Elaine Hardt ©1996.
(Dear friend Dolly recommends I share this with you today.)

Glad You Asked!

Photo by Carlene Hardt ©2007

Ever been put on the spot by an unpredictable question? Maybe it was a family member, friend, colleague, or someone who just happened to ask you. And perhaps the perfect words just flowed from your mouth, and the questioner was satisfied.

Or, maybe like me, you draw a blank sometimes. Logic and memory are somehow temporarily missing.

What’s the question?

The question might be on any Bible subject —from Cain’s wife to creation, from predestination to was that real wine—a lot of topics can be a challenge. Thankfully you don’t have to be an expert to give a helpful reply to the person who is asking you.

Here’s a few suggestions.

1. Be silently thankful that God has opened this opportunity for you. It’s your chance to grow.
2. Be silently thankful, knowing the Holy Spirit is working in that other person’s life.
3. Smile and kindly inquire, “Why do you ask?” This gains you a few extra moments, and you can focus on the person’s face and his/her demeanor. It can help you ascertain the level of importance in the question.
4. After their response to “Why do you ask?” then offer your affirmation, “Glad you asked. That’s a good question. Can we meet for coffee soon and spend a little time together?”
5. You might want to add, “I’m no expert, but I can give you some ideas.”
6. Make a specific time, if possible, to show you are taking the question seriously, and you care about the person’s feelings and their need to know.

It may help to find out why the person is asking. Do they need a listening ear more than a scholarly report from you? Maybe there’s no one else they can speak with; maybe they feel a closeness to you.

Or, maybe they’re out to test you, see your willingness to follow through, your sincerity, your knowledge of the issues.

Your response of “Why do you ask?” and “Glad you asked” has taken the pressure of an instant reply off of your mind. Now it’s time to prepare for some quiet sharing with this person at the coffee house.

You have a real reason to dig into the subject. You’ll learn in the process, too. You’ll want to give more than your opinion and an account of your own experience. Give Bible truths.

“ . . . And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. . . ” 1 Peter 3:15-16, (New Living Translation).

Prayer is the key. Ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment. Ask Him to give you the answers that point that person to God. Open the Bible and refresh your mind with reminders of God’s power, love, and the purpose of life. Look again at what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 16 and Acts 1:8.

The person probably doesn’t want to read a book or do Internet research. He or she probably is not going to be impressed with just a single Bible verse.

Put together some notes for yourself on the topic of the question. Search Scriptures, find answers.

As you prepare consider the bigger issues. How does this question fit in with God’s eternal plan?

Look up the most pertinent Bible verse that comes to your mind. Then look at its context. See how the chapter ahead and the chapter following add to what is being taught in that verse.

Try a modern version of the Bible for a new look at terminology. Compare the key words with your favorite version. What is it saying?

Doesn’t all of this take time? Yes, and that’s reason to be thankful. As you take time to draw nearer to the Lord you’ll be blessed.

There’s probably something in your schedule you can sacrifice to make the time available. Rename this challenge because it’s really a Divine Appointment.

When you meet with the person you can speak with confidence because God’s Holy Spirit will bless this encounter. Friend or enemy, this person will not be the same after your praying and sharing. Even if the person is not ready to concede you’ve solved the problem he or she can know that you do care, and you love the Lord.

Try it. See what happens when your response is, “Why do you ask?” followed by sincere listening, and your genuine exclamation, “Glad you asked!”

by Elaine Hardt ©2008

So Many Rocks!

Photo by Peter Hardt ©2004

Too Many Rocks

Walking down Life’s Trail had become a challenge. Early on it was pleasant. From time to time someone would pass by, walking at a brisk clip. He or she might be singing or whistling. Sometimes we’d exchange “hello,” but usually no one walked alongside very long.

Never mind, I found many things to look at and the solitude was a situation I could enjoy. I’m not sure exactly when I began to notice the rocks near the trail. I think I was about 16 years old then, and goodness, look how long ago that was.

Before long I decided to collect rocks. Perhaps they were collecting me. At any rate, a growing fascination filled my once-carefree mind. Let me be more specific.

The trail traversed mountains and valleys, through forest and desert with rocks of all kinds, colors, shapes and sizes.

Once, I noticed an outcropping near the trail. One fist-sized piece was shiny black. I looked deeply into it and thought I saw an ugly depiction of war. I tossed the strange specimen into my backpack for later study.

The next day I spotted a gleaming turquoise rock about the size of my foot. Wow, what a beauty. Looking into it there were glimpses of a friendship I’d known back in Iowa. I added it to my backpack.

From then on I paid more attention to other rocks along the way, some smooth, some very sharp and rugged. Each was so individual, so mesmerizing. Before I knew it my backpack was bulging. The weight I carried now slowed down my walking, strained my muscles.

That night as I took it off I realized there were blisters on my shoulders. Then, as I settled into the deep quiet of camping a little ways from the trail I gradually became aware of small sounds coming from my backpack. The combined noises, some happy and lilting, some dreadful like screaming or moaning filled my ears, my mind, my heart. It became a sleepless night under a pitch-black sky.

Look what I’m doing to myself, I announced to myself in the morning with growing realization of the truth. I’m collecting sharp-edged troubles, voluminous problems, hurtful specimens of painful tragedies. There were solidified disturbances from snitches of TV news and movies that had clung like static to my hands when I had picked them up days ago.

Oh, I had added to my collection a number of beautiful rocks. Some were the size of mere specks, flakes of fleeting joy, good humor, a few were bright sunset-reflecting stones. Others were striated, or had sheen, bumps, or dimples.

All together I had been gathering a collection that was too heavy for me to carry. And, the vibrations emanating from some of the rocks had grown festering and fearsome.

“Good Lord, what am I supposed to do?” I exclaimed aloud, not really expecting a reply from Him.

My desperation was an honest expression, and amazingly God Himself spoke to me in firm, yet tender tones. “My child, all along your life’s journey you will see rocks. Some are troubles, problems, sinful actions. Do pay attention as you are walking. These bad things will remind you of how much you need to talk to Me. Let Me show you the truth about what you see.”

As I began to pull out stones from my dusty backpack a sweet peace was beginning to enter the spaces in my heart that had been filled with uncertainties and strife. I realized that He was walking with me. “Oh, thank You, Father!”

God went on, “Do not carry the troubles of the world on your back. To others who come along life’s pathway you should point out the truth, and they could heed the lesson. Some people are not yet at the place of an honest commitment to Me. Bless them with a prayer as they walk by. Do not let their confusion or bad behavior fill your backpack with sharp stones of ugly rejoinders.”

Then I saw the simplicity of the situation; look at the rocks, ascertain what they represent, but do not pick them up to carry them. I was not responsible to God for where they lay, and I could not fix their harmful history.

To allow myself to be overwhelmed with wickedness or pain, with deceit or disappointment was to take up defeat and hold it in my hands. This I must no longer do.

My conversation with God is not to tell Him what He does not know, or advise Him of what to do. My words begin with acknowledging Who He is. I praise Him for putting me here on this particular path at this particular time. He deserves my respect, my honor, my gratitude.

This new attitude is not a resolution, not a performance for others, not a heavy stone in my backpack. Rather, it is an honesty born with tears of surrender, submission, and trust.

My busy mind can ponder the possibilities of this walk, the scenery along the path, and even wonder about its ending. But my spirit travels without a heavy pack of troubles. Daily, moment by moment I receive His forgiveness and His friendship. The Lord and I share today and each day in unexpected ways of joy and freedom.

Without all those rocks in my backpack I can skip along, bend to admire the flowers, look up to watch the birds tucked in branches of nearby bushes or soaring in the turquoise sky.

Are you carrying too many rocks? Is your pack bulging with heavy weights and sharp memories? You don’t know how much farther your personal life’s trail will be, so let me encourage you to stop and ask yourself some pertinent questions: What rocks am I carrying? Why? Can I trust God, or not? Be honest with your answers. Then take time to talk to God and pay careful attention as He speaks.

Life is too short to spend staggering under too many rocks!

by Elaine Hardt ©2008