Dealing with stress in a very stressful world.

Hay there friends!
So I am currently writing the first of two of the most important exams in my high school career. The results of these exams will basically determine the rest of my future. Or so I argued until about a week or two ago.

You see, I had this revelation that God has the perfect plan for our lives. And yes, we can mess it up or choose to lead another path or make our own plans, yet His will always be the best of plans. His plan for our lives is much better than any plan that we can make. He says so in scripture:
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Yet God does not only say that He has a divine plan for us, more than once He says that only through His word and through Him, this plan can be actualized. Him having a plan for our lives does not give us the "I can follow any path and God will actualize His plan no matter what I do"-mentality. For God also says:

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

So I realised that God wants me to be prosperous and live out His perfect plan for my life, yet I have to rely on Him to show me what it is that He wants for my life and to be obedient to that. Yet even after realising all of this, I still tried to take charge of my own life and my school work and my grades and my projects and my time. And as soon as we start planning our own lives, stress kicks in, because we fear that we are incapable; WHICH WE ARE.

So in this coming week, give some of your precious plans to God. He wants you to have peace in your soul. Stress is not from God. Stress comes to make us unhappy and unproductive.

Here are some verses that show what God thinks about worrying and stress:

Matthew 6:27
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:31-34
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Your Father knows what you need! See His Kingdom and all that you need WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

May the peace and joy of God be with you in this week.

Image: http://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/worry-and-anxiety-bible-verses/