Fear is a liar. The enemy will always disguise himself as your own fear and he will always come as a threat. This feeling of fear, that the enemy brings, will make you choose to either trust or tremble. So, which one will you do? Will you trust your good father or your taunting enemy? To conquer fear every single time, it's best to resort to God for peace when you're afraid. Staying in the cycle of relying on yourself and others will cause you endless panic. Not knowing when your next fearful experience will occur, waiting for it to hit you like a bird hitting a window unexpectedly, will leave you fearful of the future and feel the endless desire to stay in the present and do only selfish things. So how can we trust God? 1. Turn to God immediately!
2. Resist fearful thoughts aggressively!
3. Unleash your faith-talk joyfully!
Will these steps work every single time? Absolutely not. Nobody is perfect and nobody as the ability to have no fear except for Jesus Christ himself. Live by faith and not by sight; you will NOT always see progress at first. You must have faith and trust in his plan. The best thing we can do is follow these steps in hopes of eliminating as much fear as we can. When we do this we are also magnifying His name which is what our whole life's purpose is!
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August-October = college admission season. The most stressful time for a lot of seniors across the world. Endless essays and hundreds of dollars spent on college applications to a college some won't even be granted admission to. There are many seasons that every person goes through during their life, and this one tends to be one of the most important because it determines what you will be doing for the rest of your life. Will you be accepted? Will you be enough? These questions may be running through your mind during this season, but if you think about it, they have been running through your mind your whole life. Will they accept me? Will I be enough for them?
Through our whole life, we have constantly been told, "Don't worry about what other people think of you." But is it really that easy? In a place where social status is present, it will be hard to NOT care about what people think. Is it okay to care about what people think? Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. We want other people's opinions of us to reflect goodly onto the church and unto Jesus. We should not be wanting everyone to like us simply because we want to be popular. But, I would say it's almost impossible to ALWAYS not care about what other people think; there's always going to be that dance or performance where you want to look your best. So what should you do in times like this? Start focusing on Christ. Start focusing on being the best you that you can be. If your eyes are focused on Jesus and not other people, or what other people think about you, you will be filled up with joy and Jesus. People will be able to see your joy radiating from the inside out. STEPS TO TAKE TO ELIMINATE WORRY OF ACCEPTANCE: 1. Pick a verse to be there for you when you are feeling judged or insecure. The verse should be inspiring, uplifting, and reminding. Speaking truth over the lies the devil tells us, defeats him. Do not be anxious about anything. Present all that you wish to God and you shall receive it. (Philippians 4:6-7)
We as Christians want other people to look at us and see Jesus. A lot of people are resistant and blind to the wonders Jesus holds for all of us. Do you magnify the love and happiness Jesus provides? Yes, we want others to love Jesus. If you are doing everything in your power to look as a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, than who can stop you? Who has the right to judge you? NOBODY! (Matthew 10:25) 3. Be yourself! Know that you were made perfectly in Jesus's eyes and nothing can change that! You are BEAUTIFUL and WONDERFULLY made! (Psalm 139:14). Find your worth through Jesus, and not your peers or boyfriend/girlfriend. You belong to HIM and nobody else! Celebrate!! THINGS TO THINK ABOUT TODAY: 1. What can I do to better represent Jesus? 2. Do my actions lead people to Jesus, or push them away? 3. Name at least 3 things you're thankful for today! (This will help you stay humble and happy!) Did you know that anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States? Over 40 million Americans are affected by some form of anxiety. I have had my own fair share of worries and stresses over little things like tests and conversations, and then the big things like performances and college admissions. Even though our life is filled with these pesky little episodes of accelerated heart beats and shaky hands, there is usually good that comes out of them.
When you begin to feel anxious, it’s easy to want to go hide and escape the world, but I find it best to do the exact opposite. Yes, spending time with family and friends can ease this annoyance, but there’s something even better and that is spending time with the Lord. There’s a saying that goes like this, “The root of all of your anxiety is fear. Fear is not from the Lord.” The Lord would never inflict fear onto one of his children, meaning what your experiencing is NOT from Jesus. I used to try and find happiness and distraction in my friends and family but I still found myself empty and anxious. While continuously speaking truth over myself and praying I found myself able to deal with these predicaments. Yes, I still get anxious. No, my problems didn't all disappear. I just know what to do when I'm stuck in one of these experiences. Many who struggle with mental disorders or just experience major life problems find it easy to say things like, “Well if Jesus really loved me he wouldn’t let me feel this way,” or “I don’t believe in Jesus because of the things I’ve gone through.” Which I can see why one would say that if they aren’t very educated in the real reason Jesus puts us through struggles. Jesus would not give anyone anything they were not meant to handle. Meaning, whatever struggle or anxieties you’re feeling, you were meant to go through. Everyone has their own story to tell. Each with their own struggles, experiences, worries, goals, etc. Your story, also known as your testimony, could be inspiration or a lesson to another. So, Jesus put you through this because he knows you will be able to come out of it even stronger and potentially help others. So back to the main point, anxiety. The bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When we are anxious, we typically want to hide and seclude ourselves. But to prevent making our anxiety and sadness even worse, we should present our requests and worries to God and let him heal us in his timing and according to his plan. God has our whole life planned out. This alone is a reason to not worry about the future. Although it’s a lot easier said than done, it’s comforting to know that our lives are not in our hands but in the hands of someone much greater. Everything will turn out in the best way possible for you; you just have to be patient and know that you’re going to be okay. Some steps to take when feeling anxious:
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