The cure for our worry and anxiety is faith in God’s ability to care for us.

SCRIPTURE | Luke 12:13-34

CENTRAL TRUTH

We won’t find security in anything or anyone here on earth; we find security in God, in using every gift and resource He gives us to glorify Him and build His kingdom. Our efforts can’t bring us security in God—Jesus does. Through His sacrifice on the cross, God adopted us into His family, and the Holy Spirit living within us guarantees our eternal security. 

KEY QUESTION

What do we turn to for security or comfort? Where did Jesus say we will and won’t find security?

KEEP IN MIND

Telling someone not to stress or worry is easy. Telling our students not to be anxious because God is in control feels like the right answer (and it is), but it often falls flat when they’re walking through very real trauma, stress, or pain. In most cases, our presence matters more than our words. Simply being consistent to show up in our students’ lives means more than our ability to quote Scripture. Now, we must remind them of God’s Word; the truth within it will point them to God’s character. But we also have the privilege of modeling God’s character—of being faithful, compassionate, and loving. We get to show our students how to stand under real worry and anxiety—how to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit when our hearts and minds fail us. He is greater than this world, and He lives within us. Rather than dismissing our students’ worry, we can acknowledge their very real feelings. But then, we can point them to our very good and loving God who cares deeply for them.

APPLICATION

What would be different if we viewed every moment of stress and worry as an invitation to trust God instead?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: The more students stare at a problem, the bigger it seems; the more they look to God, the more they remember His faithfulness. Setting worry aside requires a shift in perspective. Instead of looking at what’s making them feel stuck, students can choose to look to God, whose arms are open in invitation to come and see that He is good and will provide for them.

FOR THE LEADER: Sometimes anxiety and worry can worsen as we grow older. Instead, let’s reframe our thinking and center our hearts on all the ways God has cared for us. He has been faithful, He is faithful, and He will always be faithful.