Feeling worried? Five tips to transform worry into peace.

There is a lot of research now about mental health, especially as it affects our daughters. The dawn of social media opened a pandora’s box on our daughters. Research reveals that girls are more negatively impacted by social media. I was just telling my daughter (now in college) that she represents the first generation “guinea pigs” experimented on by the big media giants. The results are devastating. But there is hope.

Understanding the mental health of your daughter is important to evaluate. But offering real remedies to worry, anxiety and fear are key to empowering her to manage her own mental health.

God’s word gives us tangle tips to battle worry and anxiety. I wrote this devotion for True Girl, a ministry of Dannah Gresh and it offers five tips to transform worry into peace. Share this devotion and these five tips with your daughter.

What is the “Therefore” there for?

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

{Philippians 4:6-8}

Easy for you to say! “Don’t worry.” Sometimes it’s so hard to pray and be thankful when I’m filled with so much worry. Help!

This Bible verse can serve as either a word of despair or a word of comfort. How do you receive these words when you first read them?

Interestingly enough, before Paul wrote these words, he began chapter four with this weird word; “Therefore.” When I see “Therefore,” I want to know what’s it “there for?”

If you go back to chapter three, you’ll find the answer. Paul reminds himself, his church and you to focus on knowing Jesus. He says that “everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.” Philippians 3:8.

Knowing Jesus will give you the power to battle worry.

Paul does not sugar-coat life. He reminds us that no matter how hard life gets (and it will be hard), you have a peace that exceeds your understanding. When you focus on Jesus, he will guard your heart and mind.

When worry knocks at your door, God gives you a battle plan! Therefore:

Pray;
Tell God what you need;
Thank Him;
Experience God’s peace; and
Know that His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

ACTION POINT: Next time you feel worried or anxious, grab your Bible, read a favorite Bible verse to remember God’s unconditional love for you. My favorite is Psalm 121. Read it together.

How can you incorporate these five tips to transform worry into peace into your habits this week?

And next time you see a “Therefore” try and figure out what it’s there for.

Anxiety Remedy Tip – Limit Social Media.

And speaking of social media, if your daughter is experiencing anxiety or depression, help her to identify the cause of her worry. Is she stressed about school? Her grades? Peer pressure? Sports performance? Girls are negatively impacted by “comparison” than boys, especially on social media.

Limit her time on social media. This can be difficult because the big tech companies have designed social media to be addictive just like drugs. I encourage parents to watch “The Social Dilemma” a PG-13 Netflix documentary on how social media’s design nurtures an addiction, manipulates people’s views, emotions, and behavior, and spreads conspiracy theories and disinformation, to maximize profit. Set limits! You can find apps and tools to limit the time your daughter is on social media.

Welcome to The Great Flip, online self-defense, safety and faith-filled empowerment resources for your daughter age six and up. Request a free self-defense video and lesson plan here.

The Great Flip is an American Heritage Girls national program alliance!