Sometimes you can find yourself in situations that are so toxic you can’t breathe or see your way out. You’re in the midst of a cesspool and you feel like you’re drowning. I often encounter people whose work environment is so stressful that it “makes you wanna holler, and throw up both your hands.” What do you do when you dread going to work; not because of the job itself, but because the people you work with or for, make it a toxic place to be?
We jokingly refer to people losing their composure in these types of environment and going “postal.” When you’re in those situations you find yourself understanding why it happened even though you don’t condone the action. You wonder, how long, Lord? How long will I have to put up with demanding, overbearing supervisors, rules and regulations that seem to change weekly, a workload that is far beyond 40 hours, and bureaucratic structures that seem more concerned about money than the people working for them.
How do you stay when you really want to go but you can’t just walk off the job because you have bills to pay?
The answer is not easy but it is necessary; you STOP, RE-GROUP, and PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST. Many years ago I use to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics and their company’s philosophy is God, family, and then a job. Wow. The bible tells us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things will be added unto you”. Matthew 6:33 Life demands our attention but we must meet the demands of life armed with the spiritual armor and food that enables us to stand and withstand the fiery darts life hurls our way. Just like we need food to sustain our physical bodies, we need God’s Word daily to anchor us in to the power that is able to keep us and carry us through the storms we will face on this journey we call life.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to stop and put things in perspective. Don’t look at the big picture; focus on what you can do TODAY. Jesus taught us to pray “give us this day our daily bread.” Ask God to give you what you need to get through today. He’ll do it for you again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, if you ask. Remember God promised to be our helper, but we have to humble ourselves and surrender our will to His. Remember, this too will pass. The ancestors told us, “trouble don’t last always.”
When you’re feeling down, and you want to take off both your hands and throw them up in the air; put first things first and remember, God’s got you and this too will pass.
Peace and Blessings,
Gail