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All Stressed Out!

You've got so much to do! You just know you'll never get caught up. Here are three students who handled their own Stress Fests by turning to God's Word.

Help Me!
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

I don't handle stress well. One time I got way behind on my schoolwork. I got so worried about missing due dates and turning reports in late, I just made the problem worse. I was too stressed out to concentrate, so the work just piled up. I couldn't sleep very well, I felt sort of sick all the time, and I even got in fights with my friends.

I finally figured out I needed God's help to deal with all my stress. And sure enough, God helped me calm down and get a grip on my life again.

No matter how stressful my life gets, I know I can handle it with help from God. —Brian

What about You?

1) What are some things that stress you out? How do you handle the stress?

2) When you feel stressed, make a list of the things on your mind. Then write down what you can do about those things. Take care of the stuff you can control, and don't worry about the stuff you can't.

3) Ask God to bring you a sense of peace when you start to feel stressed out.

Why Worry?
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. … So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow." (Matthew 6:26-34)

I tend to get pretty stressed about tests. But this passage tells me not to get so worried about stuff like school. That doesn't mean I should give up studying. It just means that as long as God is first in my life, I can be confident that he'll give me everything I need.

I like the way the passage talks about God caring for even the smallest animals. If he looks after them, I know he'll look after me, because God loves me even more than the animals. He'll always take care of me. And when I look at my life, I know that's true. I have friends, a family that cares about me, a place to live, food to eat and clothes to wear.

Seeing the way God takes care of the big things in my life, I know I can trust him to take care of the little things, too. So I don't have to stress about anything, including tests! —Jessica

What about You?

1) How can God help you deal with your worries?

2) Think about some of the things you're worried about. Now, put on an article of clothing (like a hat, a sweater, more socks) for each of those worries. How many "worries" can you wear before you feel totally claustrophobic? How good does it feel to shed all those "worries"?

3) Ask God to help you give your worries to him.

Too Busy Doing What?
Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

I can't believe how busy I am! When I started ninth grade, I got involved in all kinds of extracurricular activities. With all of those, plus an increased homework load, I thought I'd never find time for everything—and I didn't. The first thing that slipped was my relationship with God. I'd skip my Bible reading time or forget to pray, and before I knew it, God had dropped off my list of priorities.

These verses help me remember that I need to find time for God, even when my schedule gets crazy. —Marissa

What about You?

1) How can you organize your time better and avoid stress? What are some time-wasters you need to get rid of?

2) Write down some of your favorite verses on note cards. Stick a card in your locker, in your backpack and in some of your textbooks. Whenever you see them, take a quick moment to think about God and his love for you.

3) Ask God to help you manage your time wisely.

Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine. Click here for reprint information on Campus Life.
May/June 2000, Vol. 58, No. 9, Page 10

Read more from 'Faith & Doubt'

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