Under Pressure

Have you been hearing these questions?

• What are you doing after high school?
• Where are you going to go to college?
• What do you want be?
• Are you getting a job?
• Do you have your license yet?

Teens today are under a lot of pressure. So many decisions are pushed on them in a very short period of time. To be honest, at 16 years old I’m pretty sure I had no idea what the rest of my life held. At 18, I thought I had an idea but was still unsure of what to do, where to go and how to get there.

All this pressure can create anxiety and depression. The bible has given us a way to deal with anxiety, Philipians 4: 6-7 tells us “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” When we start to experience anxiety, we need to set aside time to come to the Lord in prayer. Lay your anxieties at His feet and ask Him wisdom.

All this pressure can create anxiety and depression. The bible has given us a way to deal with anxiety, Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” When we start to experience anxiety, we need to set aside time to come to the Lord in prayer. Lay your anxieties at His feet and ask Him wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”. James 1:5. God is faithful to answer our prayers and He cares about the things that are bothering you.

God has also given us a “garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 6:1a). This means that when we are feeling overwhelmed or depressed, we need to praise God. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do when all you want to do is throw in the towel, but if you just put on some worship music and start praising God, you will feel your spirit lift. It is in these moments, when we put off the negative thoughts and focus on God that we can find freedom from depression and anxiety.