YOUNG PEOPLE ASK . . .How Can I Stop Worry So Much?

Get Advice

When Aaron was a youth, he worried so much about passing final exams that he had chest pains. He recalls: "I spoke to my parents, and they sent me to a doctor.  He immediately saw that there was nothing wrong with my heart and explained how anxiety can affect the body. Later  my parents helped me to realize that I had done all I could do in preparing for the test and that now I needed to worry more about taking care of myself.  My anxiety lifted, the chest pains went away, and I did well on my exams."  

If you feel weighed down by worry, don't suffer in silence. Proverbs 12:25 , partially quoted earlier, says in its entirety:  "Anxious care in the heart of a man is what will cause  it to bow down, but the good word is what makes it rejoice."   Only if you talk about your "anxious care"  can you get a "good word" of encouragement! 

First, you might want to talk things over with your parents, they may very well come up with some suggestions.  The spiritually mature ones in your local Christian congregation are another source of support.  Fifteen-year-old Janelle relates: "I was worried about going to high school, scared of facing everything-drugs, sex, violence-until I spoke to a congregation elder.  He gave me many practical suggestions. I immediately felt better because now I realize that I could handle the situation." 

Next time:  YOUNG PEOPLE ASK . . .How Can I Stop Worrying So Much?/Don't Put Things Off

From the Awake! magazine