I can’t really tell you why this is on my mind. It couldn’t be because I have one or two of these lit on my dashboard right now, could it? Nah. That’s not it.
But, if our lives had a dashboard with warning lights, there are a few warning lights we would all do well to look for, before we wind up on the side of the road.
- You have a quicker than usual trigger on emotions of all kinds.
Things that usually don’t bother you, all of a sudden bother you. Or, you find yourself crying over something that usually wouldn’t move you that way. Whatever it might be on the spectrum of emotions, you are not yourself and little things trigger out of proportion reactions.
- You are experiencing constant fatigue, loss of sleep, and appetite.
Stress causes many things and one of them can be loss of sleep and rest. It doesn’t seem to matter how much you need sleep, you find it very hard to get rest. Along with that, a normal day is exhausting to you because your internal motor is running faster than your speed should require. It’s like you are in a low gear, but running at high speeds. Your engine is screaming at you.
- You have a growing desire for isolation from others.
This one is so dangerous. You are tired and overloaded emotionally. You want to retreat from everyone, even those closest to you. You avoid people you work with and withdraw from your friends. You just want to be left alone, all the time. But, our enemy longs to have a man by himself. We are most vulnerable when we are isolated.
- Your inner voice is drowning out all others, even God’s.
The first three lead to the last one. When you are out of balance emotionally, tired and fatigued, and isolated, you will be susceptible to your inner voice and it will lie to you.
“Nobody cares about me.”
“I am worthless.”
“I don’t have anything left to give.”
“It wouldn’t matter if I just went away.”
Of course, none of these thoughts are true.
Do you have any of these warning lights on right now? Disconnect from your usual pace. Get some physical rest and enjoy a good meal with your spouse. Run to the Word of God and saturate yourself with everything you know about Jesus through music, reading, and meditating on God’s promises. Find someone you trust and open up your heart to them. Communicate with your husband or wife and spend time in prayer.
Most of all zero in on God’s voice. He is speaking and wants you to hear Him now.