High school and even junior high are great places to learn to manage stress, because there’s a lot of stress in those places. Think about it: we have to balance classes, homework, pop quizzes, exams, extracurricular activities, friends, family, church, learning to drive, bad hair days, and boyfriend-girlfriend relationships—and even hormones—all at the same time. No wonder we’re stressed!
If you walk down the halls of any high school, you will probably hear someone talking about being stressed over a test, a sports tryout, a play or band audition, a relationship, or something. What they really mean is that they are worried about those things. We get stressed because we are worried that we won’t pass the test, won’t make the team, won’t get a role in the play or a place in the band, or might lose whoever we think is the current love of our life. As I mentioned, worry leads to stress, and stress is a really bad thing.
There’s a famous place called the Mayo Clinic, and on their website, they list some of the negative ways stress can affect us and some things it can cause, including: headache, stomach upset, sleep problems, anxiety, lack of motivation, inability to focus or concentrate, feeling depressed, overeating or undereating, drug or alcohol use, angry outbursts, and withdrawing from other people.12 Not good!
Stress is bad for us, bad for the things we want to accomplish, and bad for our relationships. But there is a better way.
NO WORRY, NO STRESS, NO FEAR
In chapter 3, I wrote about my mom’s grandparents Alton and Jean Howard, and I mentioned that Mamaw Howard was known for being a prayer warrior and a woman of great faith. One of the greatest gifts she left our family was her love for the Bible. She quoted Bible verses all the time.
On my phone, I have a video of Mamaw Howard quoting her favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 41:10, in the old King James Version, with all the “thee”s and “thou”s and “yea”s. My cousins and I can all quote this verse in the King James Version because we heard Mamaw say it so many times. The truth of these words was so real and important to her that she wanted to make sure all of us knew it too. We did not totally appreciate her efforts when we were children, but we do now.
Like a lot of people in Louisiana, Mamaw Howard had a very strong southern accent. She could stretch out a word like “my” for two or three syllables and emphasize it like it was the most important word in the English language, especially when she said, “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Anyone who ever heard her quote the scripture could tell she believed it with all her heart.
In my favorite version of the Bible, the New Living Translation, this verse says,
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
No matter which version you read it in, the message is the same: “Don’t worry. God will take care of you.” If we really believe that, we will stay calm and trust Him, no matter what happens.
GOD’S GOT IT
I can understand why people worry about certain things. I’ve already said I have a tendency to worry too. One thing that is just true about life is that there will always be something—big or small—that we can worry about if we want to. The opposite is also true. If we don’t want to worry, we don’t have to. We can choose instead to do what Jesus teaches us to do in Matthew 6:25–27:
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—
whether you have enough food and drink,
or enough clothes to wear.
Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns,
for your heavenly Father feeds them.
And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”
Jesus asks a great question, one all of us need to think about: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” In other words, can worrying help anything or change anything? That’s a big no. If worry won’t change things, why do we spend our time doing it?
A Dutch lady named Corrie Ten Boom lived a pretty dramatic life during World War II and wrote a book about her experiences called The Hiding Place. After the war started, she had lots of good reasons to worry. Her family helped hide Jewish people when the Germans were trying to send them to concentration camps. During the war, Corrie and her family were captured, and they ended up in a concentration camp because they had helped the Jews. Some of her family members died in the camps, but Corrie survived, was released, and came to live in the United States. She said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” That is so true, and I’m sure she must have learned it the hard way.
If you are anything like I am, you want to live today the best you can. You definitely do not want to rob today of its strength, because you need that strength to do what you’re supposed to do, to stand up for what you believe in, to be a good friend and family member, to do well in school, and to go after your dreams. Next time you are tempted to worry, remember that it will not change anything about the future, but it will steal the energy you need for today.
A lot of people say their favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11, where God says,
For I know the plans I have for you . . .
They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
Is there any reason to worry when God has good plans for you? I don’t think so!
INSTEAD OF WORRYING, YOU COULD DO THIS
Trying to overcome worry all by yourself can be pretty hard. The best way I know to overcome it is to ask God to help us. He actually tells us to lay all our burdens on Him, and it’s amazing what He will do for us if we just ask.
The apostle Paul wrote several of the books in the New Testament. He went through a lot in his life, and the books he wrote (which are really letters to different groups or individuals) are full of great lessons and advice about how to live. If you are not very familiar with the Bible and want to start reading it, Paul’s writings would be a great place to start. Some of the books he wrote, like Philippians and Colossians, are just a few chapters long, so you could read them pretty quickly.
Paul had been shipwrecked, thrown in jail, and persecuted. I’m pretty sure there were many times in his life he could have worried. Instead, he wrote:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:6–7
This is exactly what we need to do when we start to worry. We need to tell ourselves to stop worrying and start praying. As Paul says, that’s the way to experience God’s peace. And peace is the total opposite of stress.
HOW TO FIGHT STRESS
Sometimes, just reading a book that tells you not to worry is not enough. You need to know what to do with your mind when it gets tempted to worry. When your brain starts getting afraid or stressed about something, it’s hard to just shut down those thoughts. If you can replace them with other thoughts, that helps a lot. The thoughts I’m going to suggest you replace your stress with all come from God’s Word.
As I end this chapter, I want to share ten scriptures that can become your weapons against worry and stress. Some of them are short enough to memorize pretty quickly. You can put these verses in your phone or on a piece of paper so you can find them easily. Then, when you start to get anxious about something, you can look at them and fill your mind with them, so you can begin to overcome your worries and fears.
1
“Be strong and courageous!
Do not be
afraid and do not panic before them.
For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
—Deuteronomy 31:6
This is a perfect verse to read when you are starting something new—like going to a new school or going to summer camp for the first time, or even when something bigger is happening, like you’re moving across the country or your mom is getting remarried and you have to get to know a stepbrother or stepsister. Don’t you feel relieved to know God is going ahead of you? I also love the last part of this verse. People are going to disappoint you at some point, they may even abandon you, but God will never fail you or abandon you. That should give you some peace right there!
2
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
—Psalm 34:4–6
This passage is great for when you are afraid. I used to be afraid of thunderstorms. I’m happy to say God has freed me from that fear, and He can free you from whatever you are afraid of too.
3
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
—Psalm 46:1
Memorize this one when you are going through a tough time—like maybe when someone close to you passes away or your parents are going through a divorce. Know that through the trouble God is always there. He is there for you as your safe place, and you can lean on Him for strength.
4
Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
—Psalm 55:22
This verse can encourage you when you are stressed because there is too much on your plate. Maybe you feel pressure to make cheerleading or get straight As and you feel the burden of all the pressures of high school. Know that God will take care of you and will hold you up.
5
But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
—Psalm 56:3
Another good one for when you are afraid. This is a statement: I will put my trust in you. Memorize it. Just saying it makes you feel better.
6
Then Jesus said, “Come to me,
all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you.
Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
—Matthew 11:28–30
You don’t have to do anything on your own. You don’t have to handle it all. Jesus wants to take your burdens from you. He’s even talking about the “heavy burdens.” The tough stuff. We go through some hard things on this earth, and Jesus says He can handle it all. He also tells us He is humble and gentle. People don’t always handle the burdens we give them very gently. Some people are downright harsh or mean. When you give something to God, He will handle it gently and will give you rest. This is good news!
7
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
—John 14:27
The kind of peace God gives is much greater than anything in this world. He is the kind of Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. That’s something no amount of money can buy.
8
Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.
But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
—Romans 8:6
If we put our faith and trust in God and allow His Spirit to work within us, we will have peace. If we don’t have peace, we should examine ourselves and make sure we are living the kind of life God calls us to live. When we live godly lives, even though things will not be perfect, we can have peace through the imperfections.
9
If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
—Romans 8:31
This is a great verse for times when you feel like friends are turning against you or people at school are spreading gossip about you, or maybe you have a teacher who just seems to have it out for you. God’s got your back!
10
Give all your worries and cares to God,
for he cares about you.
—1 Peter 5:7
God loves you! He cares about you. He is willing to take all of your worries. We just have to give them to Him. I love the Veggie-Tales song that says God is bigger than the Boogie Man. It’s a really cute little tune that basically lets us know there is nothing God can’t handle and no way He is ever going to leave us or fail to take care of us. He is always watching out for us.
I know it sometimes feels like there’s a lot to get anxious or upset about, but don’t let worry and stress cause a mess in your life. God’s bigger than all of that, and He is seriously on your side!
Live Original Challenge
1. Have you ever let your mind run away with worry and then had everything turn out okay in the end? How did that make you feel?
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2. Why is it important to get all the facts before you jump to a conclusion about something and get worried or upset about it?
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3. Jeremiah 29:11 says God has good plans for your future. Next time you worry about what’s ahead, how can this verse help you not stress?
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4. Of the Bible verses listed in this chapter to help you overcome worry, which one will you choose to memorize so it can help you stay calm and peaceful?
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DON’T FORGET
Don’t worry.
God will help you and take care of you!
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?
Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” —but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.
What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough.
Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
—James 2:14–17
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Do Something
One of my favorite quotes is: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” In other words, when you see something that needs to be different, do something about it. You could think about what’s wrong with the world; you could even talk about it, read about it, and have discussions with your friends about how it needs to change. But if you really want things to change, you have to do something.
As teenagers, we don’t always think we are old enough to make a difference in the world. That is just not true. I want to share some true stories of very young children who have made a major impact on the world because they realized something needed to change. And then there’s the teenager whose personal diary from the 1940s still gets read today. Check these out.
• Alexandra “Alex” Scott was diagnosed with cancer before she was even a year old. At age four, she told her parents she wanted to raise money to help find a cure for cancer. So she set up a lemonade stand—and, with her brother, raised more than $2,000 in one day. After Alex passed away at the age of eight, her parents continued her efforts. Since 2005, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has raised more than seventy-five million dollars to fight cancer and help peop
le affected by it.
• Blare Gooch cried when he saw a photo of a little boy in a pile of rubble after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and he wished the little boy could have a teddy bear. So Blare did something about it. He started asking people at his school to donate bears; they did, and then many others started giving bears too. He eventually sent twenty-five thousand teddy bears to Haiti and about twenty-two thousand to other nonprofit organizations. He said, “It doesn’t really matter how small or old you are. If you’re young and think you can’t make a difference in the world, well, you actually can.”13
• Think about the Jewish teenager named Anne Frank. You may have read her book, The Diary of a Young Girl. Even though she died in 1945, in a concentration camp, when she was only fifteen years old, a lot of people have read this book. It has sold millions and millions of copies and been printed in more than fifty languages. When people read The Diary of a Young Girl, they remember what happened to the Jews during World War II. Because of her diary, this young girl has kept a very important time in history from getting lost or overlooked.
Alex Scott, Blare Gooch, and Anne Frank were all young, but they had huge impacts on the world. In their own way, they each did something about situations that needed to change. For Alex, it was raising money to find a cure for cancer. For Blare, it was collecting teddy bears to comfort children who had lost everything. For Anne, it was writing her thoughts and experiences in a diary people would read for generations. No matter how young—or old—you are, you can do something to change the world.
Live Original (Sadie Robertson) Page 13