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Excerpt

Taken from “Overwhelmed is Not New”  pg. 11

Before we had children, we shared our home with one dog and two cats. An 80-pound silver-gray German Weimaraner, Gretel; Simeon, a sleek and slender dark brown Burmese; and Demetrius, a fluffy white Persian. It was an equal-opportunity group. Nationality did not matter. Size did not matter. Gender did not matter. Color did not matter. And age did not matter. What did matter were personalities. Gretel was always happy and impetuous. Simeon was gentle, cuddly, and compliant. And Demetrius – well, – Demetrius was feisty, irritable, and annoying – especially to Gretel. 

Each of them had their way of handling those overwhelming dynamics. Simeon had no problem closing his eyes and immediately playing possum when overwhelmed. Reality was key: it was not there if it could not be seen. It worked – the others left him alone. Demetrius swatted whichever housemate bothered his toys, fur, or food. Control was key: if you don’t like it, get rid of it. It worked – Gretel retreated, and Simeon closed his eyes. And Gretel would ineffectively yelp at the offender(s) and then retreat to a place where she could watch the show without being touched by it. Peace was key: if you could not win, give up and give in. It worked – She was ignored.

God in His loving humor used that time to show me what it would be like to have children – how they might act, and how I might respond. And now, 42 years later He is using that time to remind me what it is like to be an adult.

Many things can overwhelm us: everyday things like housework or schedules; complicated things like relationships; or challenging responsibilities we regret taking on. We may ignore them. We may try to remove them. Or we may retreat and watch them unfold by themselves. But here’s the bottom line: People or things may overwhelm us, but God never will. If we are overwhelmed, it is not because God has given us too much to do – it is because we have given ourselves too much to do – we have added to His assignment. But He tells us how to handle it:

Fear not, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

…Now, let’s move ahead about 2,000 years. Overwhelming continues.

The Gospels were written by four men who did not have the job description of “writer” anywhere on their resumes. But they wrote the words that tell the life and death of the Savior of the world and His incredible promise to return to earth to correct all wrongs. This was no small task! In fact, it sounds pretty overwhelming and unreasonable. Here is the lineup:

Matthew. A tax collector engaged in a profession that had earned him distrust because of the reputation of the lying, extortion, bribery, and dishonesty of many. An outcast of sorts, who was hated. Perfect! God called him.

 

Mark. A friend of Peter and Barnabas who helped them build the early church but was too young to be in the “inner circle” of discipleship. An outsider of sorts. A “side-lines” helper. Perfect! God called him.

 

Luke. A Gentile and a physician, another profession that was not always respected, this time due to the reputation of sorcery and deceit. An outsider – on two counts – who healed. Perfect! God called him.

 

John. A fisherman with a passion for what was right. A man wearing the cologne of fish. A laborer who smelled bad heralding a Godly message. Perfect! God called him.

So, there we have it: A hated one. A helper. A healer. A herald. The simple description of the four men God used to tell the story of His beloved Son.

But wait! Those words also create the description of The Son Himself:  The Hated, The Servant, The Physician, The Messenger of God. Perfect!

You see, God did not randomly call these unqualified men to write about the life of a man named Jesus. This man was the picture of who they were. And He lived a life that enabled them to see themselves in Him and write about it. His life exemplified the perfection of all that they could be. And so, they became qualified:

Matthew could write about Christ’s rejection from the perspective of one who had been shunned and hated.

Mark could write about His incredible acts of servitude as told to him by Peter and Barnabas from the perspective of a helper who served behind the scenes.

Luke could write with compassion for those from all walks of life from the perspective of a healer studying the indiscriminate miracles of the Master Healer.

And John could write Christ’s earliest words of salvation (John 3:16) and last words of invitation (Revelation) from the perspective of a passionate worker who followed the Man of Passion until, as the oldest living apostle he was exiled as a prisoner to Patmos. Faithful and sacrificial to the end. A fisherman casting nets is the herald for the outcast Fisher of Men.

How overwhelming it must have seemed when these men first realized their Holy Commission! How amazed they must have been when they realized they had all they needed to do the job! And how blessed we continue to be – another 2,000 years later – when we read the greatest words ever spoken from the pens of men who were not writers! 

And here is our Refreshment: Being overwhelmed happens. But God loves to qualify the unqualified. He loves to bless us with the honor of serving Him while He carries the baggage needed for the journey.