Why Am I Always Exhausted and Overwhelmed? A Psalm 23 Answer
You wake up tired. You go to bed wired. In between, the to-do list runs in the background like an app you can't close. If that sounds familiar, you're in good company, and so is Pastor Saz of Courageous Church.
In a recent Sunday message from the "Your Questions" series, Saz tackled the one question she personally claimed: Why am I always exhausted and overwhelmed? She even has a word for the feeling: exhausterwhelmed, a mix of exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated.
Life Is Full, and Life Is Loud
Saz begins with a reframe. Some of our overwhelm is actually a blessings list. The crowded schedule, the house to clean, the dinner to plan: many of these are things we once prayed for. But fullness paired with noise wears us down. She points to a London art installation, a tower of more than a hundred radios playing at once, created to show how loud modern life has become. Her question: could you simply be missing silence?
The Shepherd Who Leads
The answer comes from Psalm 23: "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul." Saz notes that David wrote from a place of trial, not a vacation, and that the line can be read three ways.
God lets you rest. If you grew up believing love had to be earned through productivity, permission to rest may feel foreign. God is okay with it.
God makes you rest. If we refuse to slow down, our bodies and moods will force the issue. Snappiness, short patience, and constant fatigue are warning lights.
God leads you. Eastern shepherds led their sheep rather than driving them. You were designed to be led, not pushed.
The Five S's of "SHUSH"
Saz offers a simple memory tool. You don't need to do all five. Pick one this week.
Sabbath: One day to hand your to-do list over to God. It's a commandment, not just good advice, and it comes with blessing.
Stillness: Rest and sleep are ways of trusting God's pace.
Silence: No phone, no TV, no background noise. Saz argues that answers for your work, your marriage, and your tomorrow are often found here.
Solitude: Jesus rose early and went to a quiet place alone to pray.
Sovereignty: Rest isn't weakness. It's trust that God is above it all.
Presence Over Solutions
One of the most freeing moments comes near the end. Saz admits that a day of rest won't magically fix everything by Monday. God doesn't always promise solutions; he promises his presence. Sometimes the presence is the solution.
Your Next Step
Choose one S and practice it this week. Maybe that's twenty minutes of real silence before the kids wake up, a phone-free Sunday afternoon, or simply lying down without guilt.
If you're new to Charleston, new to church, or have been away from it for a long time, this message is a gentle place to start. There's no pressure and no performance, just an invitation to be led beside quiet waters.