5 Things to Remember the Next Time You Have a ‘Come to Jesus’ Moment

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

I recently had an anxiety flare up, and it wasn’t pretty. I used to suffer pretty extensively from anxiety so I’m no stranger to freak outs, panic attacks and overwhelm.  However, over time, and with tons of help, I’ve taken a lot of ground in this area. When a flare up happens, I know something somewhere is off and it started with needing to take a step back and evaluate what is going on in my heart. I’m currently writing a book, adjusting to a different rhythm with the school year, I took a new position working at our family company….also, life. On a good day, I do my best to keep Jesus the priority and on a difficult day…..well, lets just say the idea of cooking dinner has me kicking somebody’s shins and the ‘come to Jesus’ moments get a little more frequent. As overwhelm hit, and tears flowed down my face I tried to remember to do all the things I’ve learned that help. (It’s not easy to do when you’re in meltdown mode, so there’s grace for that too!) I prayed, cried, talked it through with someone I trust and finally surrendered. In the end, there wasn’t anything more I could do, it was bedtime and the best thing for me was to get a good night of sleep. 

The next day I talked about the situation with my doctor and he reminded me of all the things that can phase us on regular basis, stress takes a toll on all of us. It’s real. There’s a legitimate reason why we need Jesus, need each other, and need to take care of ourselves. ‘It’s me, hi, I’m the problem its me’ isn’t always true. Sometimes it just helps to have someone professional outside of our head tell us what we need to hear, and sometimes you need the encouraging voice of a friend.…In case you need the latter let me share with you 5 things that can help:

1. Let go. This isn’t just a cliche catch phrase, but something that can be crucially helpful. When we let go of what is burdening us, we acknowledge we aren’t in control. We also have the choice to let Jesus have it, and with our hands now free we can cling to him in surrender and worship. 
2. Remember this season isn’t forever. Even when we are trying our utmost to get through something,  it still means that we have go through it. It doesn’t always make it easier, but sometimes it helps to remember that this won’t last forever and eventually this storm will pass. 
3. Getting the help you need is essential. Whether you need to go see a doctor, a therapist, call a bestie, or take a nap be kind enough to yourself to be your own advocate.  Putting on your favorite worship playlist, watching something funny or making yourself a cup of relaxing tea also helps!
4. Give yourself grace. The worst thing you can do when you are struggling is to be your own adversary. Give yourself the grace that you need to not only get through this, but be kind to yourself in the process. Beating yourself up isn’t going to help. Reminding yourself how you screw up often isn’t going to make things better. Letting the enemy take you out through discouragement isn’t doing you any favors. Grace and connection with Jesus will make all of the difference. Ruminate on his words to you, and give yourself grace! 
5. Stand on a promise from God’s word. God’s word is eternal, strong and true. The situations and circumstances we find ourselves in aren’t. The season changes as fast as the tides which means we all find ourselves needing to stand on a strong foundation. Get into the Word of God and anchor yourself in truth. Let truth wash over your heart and mind until you are calmed by God’s love. 

Friends, I know you might not be looking for a pep talk in the middle of a meltdown (maybe you are), I don’t want to trivialize or minimize what anyone is going through….but I do want to emphasize this: Jesus is with you, you will get through this, and give yourself heaps of grace. Whether you need to take a moment, or those collective moments drive you to Jesus, remember that you are loved.

With so much grace,

Joy