There are A LOT of things that cause people to stress or worry: school grades/marks, tests/exams, doing something you’re uncomfortable doing, drama at school, friendships, bullying, future job/career, money, problems at work, problems at school, problems at home, debt, going on an interview, doing something new for the first time, sickness, death of a loved one, divorce or breakup, loss of a job, having to move, a traumatic event, deadlines, poor time management (leaving things to the last minute), noise, having to do something with no notice.
Sadly, it’s impossible to live a stress-free life! There are no magical stress fairies that can take all of your worries and concerns away.
That said, there ARE things that we can do to help reduce stress and anxiety. For example, if you don’t leave your school work to the last minute, you’ll experience less stress. If you surround yourselves with good friends and people who are really supportive and encouraging, you’ll experience less stress. Doctors recommend stuff like eating right, getting enough sleep, getting exercise, not using drugs, alcohol, or smoking, avoiding caffeine, medication, or not using electronic devices before bed (or not bringing them to bed with you) as things that will really help your emotional health.
Those are all some really great tips. Some people also really recommend meditation—which is a practice in Eastern religions where you’re supposed to empty your mind, chant, or contemplate questions that you can never find the answer to- looking inward. But that’s not a model we’re ever given in the Bible. The Bible actually encourages us to seek God when we’re stressed, to look to Him instead of inside ourselves--- and that He will give us strength and help!
Psalm 46:1-3 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
The first part of that verse describes God as our REFUGE that we can run to. The dictionary defines a refuge as “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble”. When we’re experiencing fear, worry, or trouble, it says that we can run to the God who loves us and can help us through! He can be our SHELTER!
The verse also says that God will be our strength when we are feeling weak, tired, or burned out!
The final cool thing this verse reminds us is that GOD IS AN EVER-PRESENT HELP. It reminds us that He promises to be with us and he can do something about our situation!
Have you ever been in the middle of a stressful situation but just the presence of someone else was a HUGE help? My kids can sometimes be scared or nervous to do something on their own, but if they know that I’ll be with them, it reassures them and takes away a lot of the fear and stress. They know they’re not alone. They trust me and depend on me to be their help because I love them! We can have that same kind of child-like trust and dependence on God!
But in the end, it’s your choice whether or not you run to God for help.
In Matthew 25:37, Jesus told the people of Jerusalem that they kept making bad choices and walking away from God, and he used a strange metaphor to describe his desire to protect and help us: “ I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me!”
That's a pretty cool picture. Jesus wants us to run to him for protection like baby chicks run to their mom! God doesn't force us to run to him, we have to make the choice.
What does that look like?
- You can do that by reading what the Bible says or using a devotional book.
- You can do that by praying and talking to God about what you’re going through.
- You can do that by being a part of church and youth group on a regular basis to be reminded about what God’s word says and be encouraged.
- You can do that by worshipping God—where we focus on the person who is BIGGER than our problems!
- You can do that by surrounding yourselves with Christian friends who you can talk to. (I can’t tell you the number of times someone encouraged me about what the Bible said when I was going through a tough time).
DISCUSSION FOR HOME
1. Talk to your teen about the things that might stress them out. Are they feeling overwhelmed or burnt out? Discuss possible things that they could do to help them.
2. Take the time to pray together and ask God to be your teen's refuge and strength, their ever-present help in times of trouble.
No comments:
Post a Comment