Four Things To Do When You Experience a Freak Out!
All of us have things that happen to us that cause us to completely lose our minds and freak out. It’s not because we are bad…it's because we are human and live in a fallen world where bad things happen.
During these times we can become SO OVERWHELMED in the moment that we wind up making decisions we regret. Looking back on my mistakes, here are four things you should do when you experience a freak out:
#1 – Keep Your Mouth Shut
One of the WORSE things a person can do in one of these moments is begin to yell, scream and arrive at conclusions out loud in front of people. James 1:19 is an EXCELLENT verse to memorize if you have a problem with this. If we calmly remove ourselves to process the moment, I promise we will have less regret about the situation when we look back at it.
#2 – Understand That God Is Not Surprised
Things that surprise us do not surprise God...period. He has never run around in circles in heaven trying to figure out what to do whenever we can’t seem to pay our bills.
One thing that I have learned in dealing with overwhelming circumstances is that these are unique opportunities to learn to trust Him. Even if I'm going crazy in the process. You might be surprised at the life lesson He's teaching you during this overwhelming situation. Although I haven't enjoyed these times in my life, looking back, I'm thankful for them. Because of it, I grew in my relationship with the Lord and I'm a stronger person because of it.
#3 – Talk To Someone
Two lies we believe when we go through these overwhelming situations in life are: #1 – No one will understand, and #2 – No one will care.
If we buy into both of these lies it will keep us at a very dark place in life. This is NOT what Jesus wants for us! One of the verses that has helped me so much as I have dealt with overwhelming issues in my past is James 5:16 where we are told to confess to others. At NewSpring Church, one of our core values is that you can't do life alone. Surround yourself with people that love you and care about you and I promise they will help you get through these hard times.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.
#4 – Do Not Blame
Even though it legitimately could be someone else’s fault; I've discovered that if I blame someone else then I do not have to accept any responsibility for the situation…and refusing to accept responsibility is one of the main reasons people live with a victim mentality. The best question to ask when an overwhelming situation takes place is, “What could I have done differently?” It’s tough to do this because we live in a culture that likes to blame the other person; however, it's a sign of maturity when a person is willing to accept responsibility.
I haven't always handled these overwhelming situations in my life very well. As a matter of fact, there was a time when I felt very alone and didn't talk to anyone about my struggles. This led me to the darkest time in my life and I eventually fell into a deep state of depression. But through the Lord's faithfulness and a great support system of my family and friends, I was able to overcome being overwhelmed. I recently wrote my entire story in my book "Overwhelmed". If you're struggling with how to handle freak out moments in your life, or even if you're feeling stressed or anxious, I'd love for you to check it out. My prayer for this book is that the Lord would allow my story to bring hope in the lives of others.
Just remember: God uses circumstances to get our attention—sometimes good ones, sometimes bad ones. But they’re always for our good.