NutMeg: 5 Reasons to Stop Stressing

With everyone going back to school now and classes starting I thought I would dedicate this post to all the students out there. No matter what grade you're in, or how old you are, if you're in school right now, then there is one thing that most likely can connect all of us.

Stress

I'm not sure why, but for some reason school can be really stressful! Am I right? Between homework, assignment deadlines, tests, and grade point averages, it can be really overwhelming. On top of all that, it seems we constantly have someplace we have to go or something we have to do. Then life quickly becomes hectic, and we can tend to find ourselves burning out, and stress can come into our lives. When we're under pressure or overwhelmed, and it all just seems like too much.

This is rather sad, because life is so very short. In hindsight, that assignment we're stressing over now might not be a big deal in a week or two, but still we let it steal our joy. It's the trivial things in this world that tend to do that to us. Now, I'm not, in any way, saying that schoolwork is trivial, or that getting a degree isn't important (after all, I'm going to be a teacher myself, so I value schoolwork very highly). But, I'm saying that nothing is going to stick with us, and we cannot learn, if we are too stressed.

The above verse tells us we need to cast all our anxiety (stress) on him (God). Now, sometimes that is definitely easier said than done. But God never tells us to do anything without fully equipping us to do so in the first place. This has been a personal struggle of mine (I do tend to worry more than I should), so I decided to write up a list of five reasons to stop stressing, and decided to share them with you today! Here we go...

The Top 5 Reasons to Stop Stressing:

God has everything under control!

This is important to remember that even when we feel like everything in our lives is falling out of place, God still has the power to make everything alright. He is the Alpha and Omega, and He is the One who can change things for the better. So when life seems unbearably chaotic, remember the One who truly is in control!

You are strong and capable!

It says in Joshua 9:1 that you are strong and 2 Timothy 1:7 that you are capable and of a sound mind. This is scriptural proof that you can handle this! God promises never to give us more than what we can handle, and that we already have the strength to endure. So whatever is coming against you in your day-to-day life, remember these verses and know that you will survive this.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Even if you got a bad grade on a test or assignment, or you made a mistake in class, or said something to someone you shouldn't have, take heart! Remember that tomorrow is always a new day and that God's unending Grace is renewed each and every morning. That means He will give you new opportunities to learn from mistakes, or improve on your previous actions. Things can always be put right.

If it's meant to be, it will be!

If you're waiting on something to happen in your life (a relationship, a test score, an acceptance letter or scholarship, ect.) know that if it's meant to be, it will be. No amount of stressing or worrying can speed up or change anything. So rest in the fact that God already knows the outcome of your situation, and that whatever happens is happening according to His will for you.

You have blessings in store for you!

There are blessings, vast amounts of them, just waiting in store for you. God says in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that He wants to bless you and that He plans on blessing you. So when times seem hard (whether financially or with personal or familial issues, ect.) you can go to Him and say: "Lord, I could really use one of those blessings about now!" because He is just waiting for you to do so.

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And of course, if all else fails, I invite you to refer back to some important advice from my favorite Disney animated fish:

So, in the coming weeks, as we settle into the new school year and begin working, as we go to proms and homecoming, extra curricular activities, and standardized tests, think about this list. And when you find those moments of peace, hold onto them and breathe easily. For anyone who may need it, I'll put some resources below for managing stress. Finally, to everyone out there who are studying hard; God bless your efforts!