But first, let’s turn to God’s Word to define some terms!

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul offers an exhortation to the believers and says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

What does that word PEACE actually mean?

When you search that passage and look up peace, the transliteration offered in BlueLetterBible.org is eirēnē, which means “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.”

What is anxiety?

In Philippians 4:6, Paul says, “do not be anxious about anything…”

Blueletterbible.org shares the transliteration for the word anxious, which is merimnaō; it means “to be troubled with cares.” Interestingly, the KJV translation says “be careful for nothing…” or, in other words, don’t be so consumed with cares about matters that don’t warrant that level of concern. 

🎧 Want a more in-depth study on Philippians 4:6?! Check out episode 35 on Her Renewed Strength–The Podcast!

I also reference overwhelm here. What do I mean when I say “overwhelm”?

Well, the exact word is not used, except for one time in Job 6:27 (KJV translation), at which time it actually meant to say “cast lots over,” and isn’t the word or phrase that we use today. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word “overwhelm” in this manner: to bury or drown beneath a huge mass; to defeat completely.  This feeling of defeat that overwhelm can trigger is one of heaviness and overload. It reminds me of what Peter said in his first letter, when he wrote to the churches at Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

That word “cast” means to literally throw or LAUNCH (like a shot put)! LAUNCH your anxiety on the Lord because you matter to Him and He wants to lighten your load (Matthew 11:28-30). The peace that surpasses all understanding is available when you put on the boots of peace (Ephesians 6:15) and decide to hand these things over to the Lord; when you resolve to rest in Him; and when you pursue Him through prayer, meditation, the study of God’s Word, fasting and continued surrender. 

Do you struggle with having enough time for the Lord? Check out this devotional Bible study episode highlighting 1 Peter 5:7 in depth!

Ready to learn those three simple steps to overcome overwhelm caused by poor time management?

Several years ago, I developed a 3-step method, which I named the ARC Method, to better understand client pitfalls, identify blindspots, get clear on what needs to be released to the Lord and gain commitment on what can actually be done in any given circumstances. Let’s use the ARC Method to better understand how to overcome anxiety or overwhelm as a Christian woman:

1. Assess: Train yourself to accurately assess the situations you’re in. Take a pause, catch your breath and zoom out of the moment. Answer these questions: will this matter in 5 min? In 5 months? In 5 years? How about in eternity?
2. Release: Do not give so much care to things that don’t matter in eternity… RELEASE them to the Lord…literally throw them down at the feet of Jesus. This means, you have to get down into that humble posture and stop thinking about your feelings for a second. I’m serious. Pray out of that moment and just imagine yourself bringing the stress of that moment to God, dropping it at the feet of Jesus and asking Him to please take it from you… 
3. Create: It’s time to enter a new agreement with yourself before the Lord. You have to decide that, going forward, you will handle these moments differently. Commit to pursuing the Lord about that thing from then on. It’s a new habit, and it will absolutely change how you respond in those stressful times in going forward.

After overcoming the overwhelm of a heavy moment, you’ll have clarity.

When you get to the root of your angst or overwhelm, you can actually identify what you need to give over to the Lord, pray more specifically about that thing and create space for the Lord to work in you and through your circumstances. Not only do you have a better understanding of the situation, but you can also have clarity around what you need to bring to God, what scriptures can combat the lies you’re battling, and how you need to approach God going forward!

This may not come naturally to you, which is totally normal! Coaching yourself through tough times is a learned skill, and even after much practice, can still be so challenging. That’s why I offer private coaching. When you work with me, you receive Christian life coaching that helps you reframe your circumstances with a biblical worldview and get solutions that align with God’s Word. Don’t do this alone!

Learn more about coaching here!