Encouragement for Today - August 20, 2025
Overwhelmed and Exhausted? Read This!
TARA SUN
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“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (ESV)
My breaking point happened over a pile of dirty dishes at midnight. My husband found me scrubbing a casserole dish as if my life depended on it — because I truly thought it did.
“Why are you washing dishes? Go to bed,” he said tenderly.
“I can’t go to bed. If I do, everything will fall apart,” I blurted out, tears streaming down my face.
God had been flashing warning signs at my soul for a while, but I was ignoring them, fearful of what might happen if I let off the gas.
I was mothering my newborn, keeping a home, working, serving … not to mention attending to my marriage and social life, plus trying to exercise regularly and get eight hours of sleep. Crying over a casserole dish was about more than dirty dishes. It was an outward expression of inner overwhelm. I was physically and spiritually burnt out. Sadly, giving my time to other things felt more urgent than giving my time to Jesus.
You also probably have a laundry list of responsibilities, and the weight is exhausting and crushing. You’ve been given a beautiful life to steward, but how can you hold it all?
Jesus offers a better way. Through the Gospel accounts in Scripture, we see how He handled overflowing responsibility:
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
If anyone had a reason to feel mentally ragged or to rush around in anxiety over a never-ending to-do list, it would have been Jesus. Yet He made the time to prioritize the presence of God.
This choice didn’t mean that He was weak but that He was strong. It wasn’t because He couldn’t keep up with His tasks but because He wanted to keep up with His Father first. Jesus was strengthened by regular communion with God. His responsibilities were not an excuse to move further away from the most important relationship but rather to move closer.
My breaking point was a grace, reminding me that there is much blessing in life that can only be experienced when we live from a place of rest and solitude fueled by regular time in God’s presence. Our Savior shows us that our limits are gifts, and only through time spent with Him can we be equipped to overflow with His fullness in every other area of life.
Friend, there is grace anew each day. Seek out regular checkpoints throughout your busy days to say a prayer, recite Scripture through stress, or absorb God’s Truth on a break or while your children play. The closer and more consistently we walk with Jesus, the less overwhelming the mountain ahead of us will feel.
He sets the pace, and our job is to run the race well.
Heavenly Father, I know that the best things I do come from Your strength. When I’m tempted to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, slow me down and remind me that You uphold my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
For a biblical guide to prioritizing the presence of God in the middle of a busy and overwhelming life, grab a copy of Tara Sun’s book Overbooked and Overwhelmed: How to Keep Up with God When You’re Just Trying to Keep Up with Life.
ENGAGE
Looking to uncomplicate what it means to live out your faith in daily life? Listen to Tara’s podcast, Truth Talks with Tara.
Connect with Tara on Instagram for daily encouragement and links to her other books.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Overbooked and Overwhelmed by Tara Sun. To celebrate this book, Tara’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, August 25, 2025.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (ESV).
Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (ESV).
Identify one thing that is currently overwhelming you. Often the things that overwhelm us or give us anxiety are the things that hinder us from resting in Christ. If you feel comfortable, share your answer in the comment section.
© 2025 by Tara Sun. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
