Are You Overwhelmed or Empowered?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when seeing the needs of others around you and wondered how their needs could be met?  The Lord’s disciples felt that way at times.  In Mark 8:1-9 we read about a crowd of thousands of people who had followed Jesus to a remote place to listen to His teachings, but there was a problem.  There were no grocery stores or fast food places nearby where they could get nourishment.  Jesus told His disciples He had compassion for these people and their families and said, “If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” 

What can we learn from this Biblical account that can help us when we are overwhelmed while seeing the spiritual, emotional, or physical needs of people we care about?

The Lord Jesus saw the need and knew how to meet the need (v.2-3).  He had compassion on these people and truly cared.  We, who are followers of Christ, also see the great needs of broken people with broken hearts around us.  The compassion of Christ within results in our caring.    However, disciples saw the same need and were overwhelmed by the size of the task of meeting the needs of the people.  They didn’t have a solution to this overwhelming need, but Jesus did.  Perhaps you are overwhelmed by a need or burden today.  You too may be wondering how can this need be met?

What did Jesus do to meet the need, and what were the disciples to learn in this difficult place?  Jesus asked “How many loaves of bread do you have?”  They had found 7 loaves and a few fish, but what was this compared to the great need?  However, in faith and obedience they brought what they had to the Lord Jesus.  He multiplied it and then gave it back to them to distribute to those in need.  

There have been many times in life when my wife and I have found ourselves facing overwhelming needs to care for God’s people, whether a hurting congregation, hurting individuals, couples, and families.  The needs that come to our attention often seem overwhelming.  God continues to remind us that He doesn’t ask us to bring to Him what we do not have, but to bring to Him what we do have (the gifts, abilities, resources, life experience and wisdom, what God has taught us, etc., ) and put it in His hands and let Him take it, bless and multiply it and then trust Him to work through us to help others.

In summary, I have to ask myself and I would ask you to consider a question.  Are we going to look at the great needs of the great crowds of broken people around us and be overwhelmed and discouraged, or are we going to give what we have to our great Savior and trust Him to work through us to meet the needs of others?   Jesus never asks us to give what we don’t have, but to bring what we do have and surrender it to Him and He’s able to take that and work through us to meet the great needs around us.