Courageously Combatting Stress

Our kids are going to have hard times. Though we know this, watching them go through it is so hard. The temptation is real to be a helicopter or even a snowplow parent, cautiously hovering and then clearing all the troubles out of the way for our precious little ones. After all, it is stressful for kids to face challenges each day—and it’s stressful for us to witness!

We all need to learn strategies to handle stress because, as Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). We cannot escape all of life’s stressors, and the only way for children to learn to be courageous is to face these challenges head-on.

Elijah was one of God’s prophets who went through many stressful situations. Even after he experienced a great victory, he caved into fear and wished to die. Recent memes have poked fun at Elijah’s need for a nap and a snack. We all get off-kilter when we’re tired and hungry, even leading to some anger (have you ever been “hangry”?). But the Lord pulled Elijah through and used him to show more of God’s mighty, conquering power.

We can see from his story several ways the Lord helped Elijah. Elijah turned to God for help, and the Lord didn’t fail him. God sent an angel to feed him . . . twice. Then God reminded him of his power and plan, broadened his perspective beyond his own plight, and sent him out with a purpose (1 Kings 19:10-18).

Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord, “I've had enough. Just let me die! I'm no better off than my ancestors.” Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.”

1 Kings 19:4b-5 (CEV)

We can help our kids face life's challenges by teaching them to rely on God. Encourage them to pray about their problems and ask God for what they need. We can also help them become self-aware—to stop, take a breath, and assess their actions and why. Do they need rest? Are they simply responding to an unmet desire? Are they looking to the Lord for help? Are they applying the right perspective? Are they seeing God’s power all around them and expecting his intervention and victory?

The Lord knows our weaknesses and our kids’ vulnerabilities. Just as God did for Elijah, so he will lead us to the victory he has planned. We can save ourselves a lot of drama by looking at the situations we face through the lens of Scripture and trusting the God who promises to carry us through if we only trust him.

PRAY

Lord, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed in our world. Thank you for carrying us through our hard times. Please help me teach my kids how to rely on you and not be afraid. Amen.

TIME TO TALK

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and His Word more deeply.

Question(s): What are you afraid of? What stresses you out? How can we handle these hard times better?

Apply: Breathing deeply has been proven to fight stress in our bodies. An even better practice is “breath prayers,” such as breathing deeply in while saying “God” (or Abba, meaning Daddy) and breathing slowly out, saying, “I belong to you.”

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help parents expand their Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 23:1-4

Psalm 40:1‒2