The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11
I’m wiped. It’s been months of a demanding travel schedule, long hours on a job I love, time with family visiting from out of state, and many writing deadlines. Add to that the pressure to keep up my social schedule with friends, Bible study, and a few other family obligations. I feel like I can’t take much more on my plate, but demands continue to pile up.
Are you overloaded too? Have you taken on too much and given in to just a few too many “yeses” to your days or weeks? If time and attention for others have taken away our quiet with God, we can begin from empty before we even get started.
And what about the people whose needs extend beyond your capacity? Maybe they are asking for more time than you are able to give, or need emotional assurance that you just simply cannot afford?
If you’re already worn thin from meeting the needs of others, rest assured that you are not alone. The needs of others don’t have to keep you from the abundant life Jesus holds out to you.
We don’t have to keep the peace on our own. That is not a burden we need to bear. If someone is taking up more of your mental and emotional capacity than you are able to give at this time, recognize it. Yes, we are meant to share in one another’s burdens, but first take an assessment of your own life. Is your relationship with God first and foremost? Are you getting enough time with him on your own, or is something hindering you from staying connected to the source of your spiritual sustenance?
After that, ask yourself, who are the people in your close inner circle? How are your relationships there? If those are lacking, step back and assess why. After our relationship to God, our relationship to our spouse, our children, and our immediate family is of next importance and concentration. Prioritize making sure those are in as healthy of a place as they can be, and if God is leading you to take up more connection with someone, know that he will also equip you for the challenge (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Take your cares to God before anything else. Let him know how you feel about this situation or a particular person who is weighing heavy on your heart and mind.
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
He will give you strength, and he will also send you on the path to best dealing with this difficult person. Whether that’s to step back with some well-earned boundaries or to limit yourself on how often you can listen to them share their burdens, God will let you know. We long for his peace, even while we shuffle between carrying the burdens of others and admitting our own shortcomings.
God knows how helpless you feel. He loves your loved one more than you do. He isn’t unaware of the struggles, the desperation, the tears shed with your face in your hands at the letdown of it all. He holds you close, consoles you, and invites you to hand this over to him. Curl closer into his heart and receive his gentle and endless love. From that deep, soothing, strengthening love, his Spirit fills us while strengthening us to step back into the relationships he has called us into.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
When you find yourself on the receiving end of someone’s problem and emotional need, keep directing that person to God. We can’t carry their loads, but we can lead them to the one who can.
Let God’s peace lead you and bless you. He is always enough for whatever overload we’re facing, always sustaining and strengthening our inner being to be a blessing of peace to those in desperate need of the God who is always enough for all of us.
*Excerpted from Harvest House Publishers, 2026
If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also like this episode of The Love Offering Podcast, where Rachael chats with Sarah Boyd—child and adolescent development expert and founder of Resilient Little Hearts—to talk about her book Turn Down the Noise. In our noisy, overstimulated world, Sarah offers a breath of fresh air and a clear path forward for parents who long to create calmer, emotionally healthy homes. You can listen to the episode here.}
About the Author:
Sarah Freymuth is the content and storytelling manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and she writes for numerous platforms, including Proverbs 31 Ministries, YouVersion, (in)Courage, and She Reads Truth. Sarah loves unearthing God’s goodness in places that don’t feel good, with a heart especially for faith and mental health. She enjoys a simple Wisconsin life by Lake Michigan with her husband, Eric, and Beaglier pup, Alfie. Her book, All the Hard Things: 50 Days Through the Valley, is available now.
