Turn Overwhelm into Peace

Turn Overwhelm into Peace

Life! Ugh!

Work on yourself. Work on your marriage. Work on your health. Work on your relationship with God. Prioritize. Set goals. Eat healthy. Exercise. Save money. Not to mention struggles with people and problems that pop-up. There are way too many demands on us today, and it seems there is so little time to accomplish everything. It can all feel very overwhelming.

Sometimes I find myself going in circles trying to do everything at once, and not feeling very productive in any one thing! The stress on our bodies alone can be detrimental and negatively affect every area of our lives .

When this happens, I have to take time to separate myself from everything and everyone and just get alone with the Lord. Take deep breaths, put on some worship music, and simply worship.

We know how stress affects us, but let’s talk for a minute about how Worship affects our bodies. Studies show when we worship, it produces a calming effect on our stress response and reduces anxiety. It helps shift our focus from self-driven worry to . . . . "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" as Paul states in Phil. 4:7.

Regular prayer and worship activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn reduces cortisol levels and promotes calmness. It can lower the stress levels, reduce blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and enhance emotional regulation. It releases “feel-good” hormones and strengthens immunity.

Whaaat? Does that mean that worship could actually heal our bodies? Well, Jesus is our healer. It makes sense that worshipping Him would have a healing effect. Here some scripture references to back this up: Psalm 103:1-3 "Bless the Lord, O my soul . . . who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.", Ex. 15:26 "I am the Lord who heals you", Prov. 17:22 "A joyful heart is good medicine.", Acts 3:1-8 - Healing occured as people gathered in prayer at the temple. These are only a few.

When we lift our hearts in worship, something beautiful happens in our bodies and minds that aligns with a Heavenly rhythm. Worship is more than a song we sing on a Sunday morning. It’s something we can do any day, anytime, anywhere.

Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In worship, our thoughts shift from fear to faith. As we focus our minds and thoughts on Jesus, anxiety will begin to fade. The peace of God quiets the mental noise, replacing worry with clarity.

Worship calls us to repentance, gratitude, and surrender. When we let go of our flesh, and let go of control, the peace of God takes over.

Worship doesn’t just change the atmosphere; it changes us. When we praise the Lord, Heaven meets Earth in our hearts. Our mind begins to shift to see situations from God’s perspective, and His joy becomes our strength.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on You, because they trust in You.”

Worship Him - It’s good for the body, it’s good for the soul, and it feeds your Spirit!