Laura's Lessons: Being strong, not sad or scared
Sometimes it’s easy to feel scared or sad about things that happen. Sometimes people may say or do things that sound horrible and hurt our feelings. We might think sad or scary thoughts in our mind that are not even true! Our loving Father God has told us from the beginning of time that He does not want us to be scared or sad. We want you to be happy and feel strong and safe. In this world, no matter what is happening around us, God is there, always, holding our hands. He never leaves us, He never lets us down and He never fails.
God does not make horrible things happen, neither does He want them to happen. These things come from the enemy, the devil. He is sneaky and can use people and situations to try and take our eyes away from Our Father God and good things. This is because he is scared of God and he knows that he has already lost the battle. His aim is to make as many people as he can, lose too. Because we know God is our Dad, we know we are safe and all we have to do, when the enemy tries to make us sad or scared, is to tell him to go away and ignore him. Our words are very, very powerful. God created the whole universe by commanding things to happen with His Words.
We can see this in the very beginning of The Bible, in Genesis:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
God has always shown us throughout The Bible that we should be careful what we let out of our mouths. We should not say negative things, but good things, because words have power. We know that it would be unkind if we said to someone, “You are stupid.” Those words could really hurt someone’s feelings and the power behind them could make them cry, feel very sad or angry. We also know that if we say to someone, “Thank you.” or “You are lovely.” or, “I love you” that our words are powerful enough to make them smile and feel happy inside.
God created us to use our words for good use, not for bad. He wants us to say things that are nice, hopeful, positive and helpful to others.
Though we cannot see God with our eyes, we can feel Him, hear Him and see the things He does, physically. God works in The Spirit which is invisible, but He says we can use our words to bring things from the Spiritual world (heaven) to the physical (earth), which we can touch, feel, see and sense. We do this by faith, which means that we trust and believe that God CAN and God WILL do what we ask, as long as it is good for us or someone else and it is part of His plan or promise for us.
We cannot control what comes out of other people’s mouths, though we do have control over how we respond. Jesus is our best example. He had many, many people say and do horrible things to Him. Still, He was always kind, always loving and never spiteful, though He was still strong and bold. This is how we can respond to horrible words or actions. We should always respond out of love, because everyone on this earth is God’s child. We should not allow bullying. Not everyone will be our best friend but we should be kind to everyone, like Jesus was. Inside our hearts, we may know that what they did was wrong but God and their parents will discipline them, just as your parents and God discipline you. It is important to tell your mum and dad, teacher or the person looking after you if someone has said or done something to upset or hurt you. If it is serious then we have authorities like the police that can help us too. They can support you to make sure that the behaviour stops and is dealt with in the right way.
Here are some scriptures in The Bible about God hearing us and how we should trust Him.
Luke 18:27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
1 John 5:14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Here are some scriptures about dealing with bullies or horrible words:
Romans 12:19-20 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Romans 12:17-18 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
As we said earlier, the horrible things of this world are all from the enemy, not from God. It is important to know this because there will be times that bad things happen. We hear about it on the news and see it in the newspapers. People sometimes talk more about the bad things happening than the good! God says we should focus our eyes and our hearts, not on these horrible things but on the good things. If we keep our hearts and our thoughts on Jesus, we wont be scared or ‘moved’ by what is going on outside or around. It does not mean that we should ignore what is happening. The world needs our help. God tells us to help the poor and the people who need things. The thing we do not want to do is to give the enemy any credit. If we run around scared by bad things, it makes him look like he is winning when he really is not!
Here are some scriptures about focusing on God and the good things:
Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not are eternal.
Psalm 112:7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in The Lord.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Psalm 62:6 Truly he is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
As we grow up and get older, we experience lots of different things and meet many people. Some people will come and go but we do not have to feel lonely, because God is always with us, no matter where we are or who we are with. He is constant. He never ever goes away. He will always help you when you need Him and He is forever looking for ways to make you smile and happy, because you are His precious child.
This is what God's Word says about being there for you:
Psalm 46.1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me , all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from The Lord, The Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is The Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Exodus 33:14 And He said,“My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
When it comes to fighting against the enemy, you must know and understand that he is already defeated by what Jesus did at The Cross. He just wanders round trying to trick people into thinking that we do not have control over him. We have to stay strong and not give him our time or attention. We need to keep our eyes on God and not allow him to make us sad or angry. God says that if we resist the devil, then he will run away from us. Our weapon is The Word of God, which is sharper than a two edged sword. It is important to declare God's Word over yourself, your day, your family, friends and the situations and to make it a part of your daily routine. That is your armour!
Here are scriptures about being strong and not scared:
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Ephesians 6:13-18 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance.
Haggai 2:4 Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts,
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Psalm 34:17-18 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Romans 8:37 but in all these we more than conquer, through him who loved us;
Isn't God wonderful? You never have to feel alone, scared or like you cant be helped. God is on your side. He has big plans for you! So you stand firm. You are not a worrier, you are a warrior! Don't you be moved or pushed by the enemy or bullies. Just remember who you are. You are God’s Child and you are protected. God will lift you up if you fall and go with you where ever you are. He is far bigger than any mountain, any person or situation. He gives you the permission and the authority to say NO to the enemy. He will help you stay calm when things are a bit tough. He will give us the grace to be kind, forgiving and understanding when people hurt us or annoy us. Remember Jesus is our best example, so the person we should want to be like the most is Him. Do not forget, no matter what you need help with, ask The Father and He will help you be strong and calm. God will make a way for you where there seems to be no way.
