I remember a season in my life when I had so many things hit me at one time that my mind became overloaded. It was one thing after another, and before I could recover from one situation, something else would happen. After a while, everything started feeling bigger than it normally would, and I had to ask myself, “Is the situation really as bad as I think it is, or am I feeling this way because I have been hit repeatedly?” That season taught me that overload often comes from the stacking effect of repeated blows. One problem may not be enough to overwhelm you, but when several things happen back-to-back, even a normal challenge can begin to feel enormous. During that time, however, I learned some principles that changed my life: the principle of the secret place, the principle of praying in the Holy Ghost, and the importance of strengthening my spirit when my mind was overwhelmed. I learned that when you go through rough seasons, you should come away with more than victories. You should come away with principles that can carry you into the next season of your life.
When your mind becomes overloaded, your perspective can become distorted because your thoughts are scattered across too many things at once. You start thinking about what happened yesterday, what might happen tomorrow, what somebody said, what you need to fix, what you cannot control, and what could go wrong next. Before long, your mind is carrying ten situations at the same time. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” I learned that everything that feels urgent is not always as big as it feels. Sometimes pressure magnifies the problem. That does not mean the problem is not real, but it does mean you have to recognize the condition of your mind while you are looking at it. When your thoughts are scattered across everything going wrong, pressure increases, but when you bring your mind back to God, peace begins to return.
One of the things that exhausted me during that season was trying to understand everything. I analyzed it, replayed it, tried to connect the dots, and kept looking for an explanation. But there are seasons when your mind simply does not have enough information to explain what is happening. Eventually, I had to stop making understanding the requirement for peace. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” There comes a point where understanding runs out and trust has to take over. I do not have to understand everything to trust God, and I do not need an explanation before I can have peace. Happiness often depends on circumstances, but peace can exist in spite of circumstances. God can give you peace while the storm is still raging.
That is also when I learned the power of praying in the Holy Ghost. I knew how to pray, but the problem was that I did not know what to pray because there was so much happening at once. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought…” So I began to pray in the Holy Ghost, and I prayed until something started changing inside of me. The circumstances did not immediately change, but I changed. Jude 20 says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” I discovered that prayer is not only something we use to change circumstances; sometimes prayer changes us first. I prayed until my spirit became stronger than the pressure, until peace became stronger than panic, until faith became stronger than fear, and until my spirit became louder than my thoughts. Some things God removes, but other things He strengthens you to carry until the season changes.
Finally, I learned the principle of the secret place. Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Everybody needs somewhere to retreat spiritually—a place where you can pray, refocus, breathe again, and stop trying to carry everything by yourself. David said in Psalm 61:2, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Looking back, I realize that season gave me something valuable. God brought me through it, but I did not just come out with a testimony; I came out with principles. So when you go through a difficult season, do not only ask God, “How do I get out of this? “Ask Him, “What are You teaching me that I need to carry with me when this season is over?” The victory gets you through the season, but the principle you learn in the season can carry you for the rest of your life.
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