May 1, 2024

A Daughter’s Worth Week 5 – Day 2: God Helps You Manage Anxiety

 

I have to admit something to you.  When I saw the list of topics I was to write about during this study, I laughed.  Out loud.  That’s right! LOL  I thought Ms. Megan had played some kind of cruel joke on me.  That’s right, this topic caused me ANXIETY.  How did she know that anxiety and depression are something I deal with on a daily basis?  How was I going to talk to you guys about managing my stress and control issues when I still struggle with it myself?  I am going to show you what I have learned and Who I go to when I feel anxious and stressed out.  I have found ways to control the stress and anxiety instead of letting it control me.

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ANXIETY

Distress or uneasiness of mind caused by FEAR of danger or misfortune.A State of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.

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CONTROL   To exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command.To hold in check; curb: to control a horse; to control one’s emotions.

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STRESS

Importance attached to a thing.

The physical pressure, pull or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.

Synonyms: 

Significance, meaning, emphasis, consequence

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Psalms 34:17 says:

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

You might say, “But I’m not righteous, I’m a teenager”.  The Bible says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33  Hopefully, by now you are beginning to seek God when troubles come to you in your life.  He is our Source and our Hope.  We will all have troubles in this life, but by placing our hope in the LORD, we will have renewed strength (Isaiah 40:31).

What Is Anxiety? 

For teens or anyone else, anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Things like tests, meeting new people, speaking in public, going on a date, and competing in sports can make us feel apprehensive. Some of us feel stressed at the thought of posting something about our lives on our secret Facebook Prayer Groups.  Some teens react much more strongly to stressful situations than others. Even thinking about the situations may cause them great distress.  I think that no matter how you were raised, how you handle stress now or how you plan to handle stress in the future, the Bible has the answers as to how and why we feel that stress and anxiety.

1 Peter 4:12-13

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Anxiety can be a good thing when it helps you deal with a tense situation. For example, when you’re studying for a test, a little anxiety can make you want to study hard so you do well. But at other times, anxiety can be harmful, especially when it is excessive and irrational, and prevents you from being able to focus.

1 Peter 5:6-7

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.

Sometimes the anxiety can come between you and your friends, especially when you avoid going out with them or calling them because you’re too panicked or tense. That’s when you need to do something to feel less anxious, so you can fully enjoy your teenage life. (This is where your secret Facebook Prayer Group would come in handy).  You are not alone.  Every human goes through stressful times.  It is in these times that we get to practice what we are learning from our study.  We get to share our experiences with other who are going through the same troubles we have gone through or are going through.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

In our study, the author states that “even though God removes worry from your mind, He might not remove the source of anxiety.  The coach may never treat you fairly; your boyfriend may dump you, and your parents may get on your nerves.  But somehow, in the midst of the stress, you can feel an unbelievable calm.” (p. 64)

I try to make a conscious effort to replace stressful thoughts with prayer, scripture, or praise songs.  One of my favorite verses is one with ATTITUDE…whatever…

Let’s PRAY:  Heavenly Father, we come to you and bring the stress of our day.  We bring you all our anxiety, all our issues that cause us to take our eyes off of YOU.  Father, we claim your peace and your compassion and your comfort.  We want what only you can provide for us.  We know that you are the Source that heals our broken hearts and you bind up our wounds.  Father we pray that as we find comfort and peace in you, we would be able to share what we have learned with our friends.  We want them to come to know you the way we know you…LORD.  We love you.  We thank you for caring for us and for removing the worries from our hearts and minds.  Amen

Much love to all my girls,

Mama T  <3

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For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

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About Teresa Bolme

Teresa Bolme – Author, Blog Contributor
Teresa lives in middle Tennessee with David (her husband of 27 years), eight daughters (23 years – 15 years old). She has been a not-so-stay-at-home mom for the last 18+ years. She is her family’s biggest cheerleader, devoted counselor and caretaker. God has chosen to use Teresa to reach broken children, teens and women (most who were broken as children). She has been a ministry planter, a home missionary and a support to ministry families and staff. She is currently completing her degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Christian Counseling with Liberty University Online. Teresa wrote her first book titled "I AM - Discovering the Character of God through the revelation of Scripture" as a Bible study used here on Girlfriends Coffee Hour.

Comments

  1. beautiful, mama t! the TRUE 'whatever!' attitude! (love the rainbow graphic outlining philippians 4:8!) <3

  2. Megan Smidt says

    AWESOME!!!!!! Thank you for this today, Teresa <3 God is so faithful <3

  3. Tonya Elliott says

    Glory! Glory! Glory to God! Thank you for blessing my heart this morning Mama T! I so needed to be reminded of this! Love you much! <3

  4. Psalm 34:17 is one of those verses that touched my heart at just the right time, now every time I read it or see it somewhere my heart smiles. I am so thankful that God hears us and delivers us from our troubles! Thanks for sharing this message today:)