The Backdrop
Maybe you’ve seen the results of a recent survey by the American Psychological Association on stress. The survey’s sweeping conclusion: Teens are more stressed than adults. On a 10-point scale, teens reported a school-year stress level of 5.8 versus 5.1 for adults. Of course, teens and those of us in youth ministry have known this all along.
Stress is an inevitable part of life, especially in the teen years. It can’t be avoided. However, it’s how we handle stress that determines its impact on us. Does it make us worry? Does it fill us with anxiety? Thankfully, God gave us some guidance on this subject.
The What
The passages below provide a cross-section of insight and instructions with regard to worry and anxiety. To give yourself more opportunity to see detail, print these passages out and do this:
1. Circle anything that gives you insight into worry and how to deal with it.
2. Underline anything that is a specific command or instruction for dealing with worry or anxiety.
The Word
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done” (Gen. 2:1-3).
“‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear” (Matt. 6:25).
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'” (Luke 10:41-42, when Martha was distracted by preparations for Jesus’ visit and Mary sat at Jesus’ feet).
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7).
The So What
Look at the things you circled and underlined. Think for a minute about how you can apply each insight and instruction to specific stressful situations in your life.
Seal the Deal
One of the contributors to teen stress that experts always seem to bring up is the proliferation of edevices. You certainly can agree or disagree with that assessment. Some would say the ability to be connected to friends is a stress reliever, but here is something to consider: When we are connected and communicating, we also are thinking, deciding, evaluating, comparing, reacting and creating continually. All that is in the course of a few seconds, which easily can turn into hours. That’s a lot of processing that leaves little room to take a deep breath and decompress, something God did on day seven.
So, let’s do that. Let’s take a deep breath and decompress.
Grab a Bible—a physcial, hard copy that is not wired/connected/electronic or accessible on any device or social outlet. Take it to your room or a quiet place of solitude and open it to one of the best decompress chapters of the Bible: Psalm 23. (Or you may want to print Psalm 23 from a Bible website or software and take the printout to your room.) Rephrase Psalm 23 into your own words and your own life situation, particularly when you get to the part that says, “Even though I walk through ________.” List there all the things that stress you out. This exercise will give you a personal version of Psalm 23.
Close your time by reading the psalm or your personal version as if God is saying the psalm to you. In other words, the first three verses will read similar to…
“I am your Shepherd. You lack nothing. I will make you lie down in green pastures; I will lead you beside still waters. I will refresh your soul.”
“I will refresh your soul.” Those are nice words from God. Hopefully you feel less stressed already.
