Anxiousness
The start of a new school year is exciting for some people. For others? It’s all shaking hands, a gurgling belly, and a mouth that feels like it’s full of sand.
What if I don’t know anyone?
What if I say something silly or make a mistake?
What if no one wants to talk to me?
Whatever the cause—the first day of school, having to give an oral presentation, or an argument between friends—anxiety can feel very big and scary. In anxious moments, life leaves you feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and out of control.
Well, here’s some good news: Even when things feel out of your control, they are always in God’s control.
Here’s some more good news: Do you know what God wants you to do when those feelings pop up? He wants you to tell him about it. All about it. Really.
We hear this over and over again from all sorts of people in the Bible. One verse comes from one of Jesus’s dearest friends, Peter, a man who did lots of silly things and made lots of mistakes—so, he should know, right?
He says, “So make yourselves humble. Put yourselves under God’s mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time. Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7, NIRV)
Here Peter is telling us to give our worries to God. He’s also asking us to remember two things:
Who God is.
That God loves us and wants us to trust him with the things we care about.
God made you. He knows your heart—he made that, too! He knows what makes you worried and scared. What’s more, he wants you to bring those things to him and to tell him about it. When you do, you show him that you remember who he is and how much he loves you…so much so that he sent his only son, Jesus, to the cross for you.
So if your heart is going thump-thump-thump with worry as the first day of school gets closer or a big test looms in front of you, try doing what Peter says: turn your worries over to God, because he cares for you.
SAMPLE PRAYER:
God, thank you for caring about the things I care about. I am worried about [list two or three things making you feel anxious]. Like Peter said, I am turning them over to you. Help me not be worried anymore. When I keep worrying, help me remember to tell you about it. Help me remember how much you love me. I ask all of this in Jesus’s name. Amen.