Trust Over Worry

It’s been said that having children is like having your heart running around outside your body. You may worry about their falling and getting hurt, who their friends are, and how a broken world will affect them. You can work yourself up over many things you can’t control. But worrying only leaves you feeling drained and helpless and sends the wrong message to your children. They often learn by mimicking behaviors. You may even see them role-playing those behaviors with their toys or finding ways to self-medicate, like over-eating, escaping into excessive screen time, or falling apart over seemingly small, unimportant things.

Scripture invites us to stop worrying and turn to God.

God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

1 Peter 5:7 (CEV)

Refuse to let your mind go down those rabbit holes. Like a marble in a circular maze, sometimes you must grab your mind and put it on the right track. You can stop yourself mid-worry and instead concentrate on God’s goodness, power, and love. Talk about past experiences God has brought you through. Think about what it means that God cares about you. Find and memorize Scripture verses that describe God’s love. Pray—out loud, in front of the kids—when your mind is muddled, and worry is starting to set in. Remember, trust develops over time. It is like a muscle that needs exercise to become stronger. Give God your worries each day, and rest assured that if your kids can learn from you how to worry, they can also learn how to trust.

PRAY

Lord, you have been good to me in the past. Thank you for protecting my family and me. I am amazed by your power. Help me trust you for the things I am worrying about today. 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): How has God protected your family in the past? How have you seen God’s power in your life?

Apply: With younger kids: play a trust game such as blindfolding each other and leading the blind around or having them eat a mystery item like cold spaghetti noodles. With older kids: Build a house of cards, play Jenga, or learn together about the engineering of a bridge, a house, or even a chair. Talk about how you can trust a God who is more reliable than anything made by human hands.

KEEP IT GOING

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

Philippians 4:6-7

Isaiah 26:3