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There are lots of reasons to be worried in life: grades, dating, making a team or some other group, or getting a job to earn money. There will always be lots of reasons to be stressed and worried in life. In fact, the older you get, the more stresses you will probably have. There is good news, however; the Bible says that there is a way to defeat worry once and for all.
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
The Bible says that you don’t have to worry. You don’t have to be anxious with a knot in your stomach. This might sound too good to be true, but in this verse, we find a three-step method for dealing with the things that make us worry.
#1 Don’t Worry
A lot of times we get stressed out because we allow ourselves to worry. We let our mind go over every terrible scenario that could possibly happen to us. This keeps us up at night or just stressed over what might happen. God says, “Stop it.” Stop worrying. Don’t let your mind wander into worry. Make a decision that you won’t worry about things. Take your mind off your worries and put them onto something else, preferably God.
#2 Pray
Don’t get the wrong idea. When it comes to dealing with anxiety, you are not on your own. God is here to help you. The way to access this help is through prayer. If you are worried or stressed out, talk to God about it. Bring it up to him. Tell him your concerns and fears. Don’t pretend like your stress isn’t real or that you can handle it on your own. You can’t. You need God’s help, and he is here to help you.
Also, don’t just pray alone. Pray about your anxiety with your mentor and your small group. Ask friends to pray for you. Don’t feel awkward about it. We all have things that tempt us to worry.
#3 Thank God
Instead of worrying about what might happen, thank God for what has happened. Remember all the things that God has done for you in the past. He saved you. He takes care of you. He watches out for you. Instead of focusing on your worries, focus on what God has done. Maybe you can’t think of a lot of things that God has done for you, so think about all the things he did for his people in the Bible. God took care of his people in the Bible, and he will take care of you too.
As a Christian, Philippians 4:6 is for you; it’s a command and a promise for how to deal with worry.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- List the three things that cause the most stress in your life.
- Read Philippians 4:6. What are some practical things you can do to stop worrying over the items you just listed?
- How can prayer help with stress? How would having a friend or a mentor pray for your anxiety help you?
- Make a list of things that God has done in your life. How can looking at that list help you with stress?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
