How can it be that the loneliest, most stressed-out generation.. is Generation Z.. the most connected generation of all time? Something needs to be done about this!
So SO much anxiety in peeps... with that suicide rate up. I hate that! Somethin' must be said!
What does God say? The Bible says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" Philippians 4:6
On average, adjusted for age, the annual U.S. suicide rate has increased 24% from 1999. Many people really feel down, empty, lonely, afraid, abandoned, forgotten, totally worthless-insignificant, guilty and hopeless.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US for all ages (CDC).
Every day, approximately 123 Americans die by suicide (CDC).
There is one death by suicide in the US every 12 minutes (CDC).
Suicide generally.. often goes underreported. It's sad and actually really selfish. Think about those who factually love you, even if today you don't "feel loved." Guess what. Every day you are very loved and can know that love!
Dude, the ultimate Solution has a Name: Jesus.
The answer ...it's believing prayer with the right address on it, believer. To God through Christ.
Bro, loved-one, and friend.. turn every worry of yours.. every fear and anxiety into a simple prayer with thanksgiving. It'll be heard! Expect and thank daily. Yup, every day there is good stuff to thank the Lord for. He's merciful (go look up the full definition). Look! Got some stress, some anxiety or some fears?
Feel down, have ya blown it? God sometimes allows us to fail in the less important, so that we will succeed in the more important. Sometimes God allows failure in our lives so that we will grow. Acknowledge your failures. Do that with your sins too (not all failure is sin--it's not always sin). God will forgive. Need peace inside? Why go on pretendin' that broken people aren't broken? Why pretend that our world is not fallen?
Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide in the world each year, which is roughly one death every 40 seconds.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years.
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Number of emergency department visits in America due to an assault: 1.6 million.
A Miami SWAT policeman recently told me that 17,000 murders happen in America every year. He would know, but I'm thinkin' that's old and has now gone up.
So many hate the police today. It ain't a skin prob, it's a sin prob. It's wrong. I hate this kinda hate. Every 53 hours a policeman or woman is shot and killed in America. This must stop! Something must be done to stop this.
You like order right? The vast majority are really decent moral people (wouldn't get into the force otherwise..) who need your prayers. #BackTheBlue!
I want Generation Z free from anxiety -- well!.. and those of the other ones well too. There is a JOY to be had in this world gone crazy.
Choose JOYFUL in the Lord. Choose happy, choose to be brave, gentle, above reproach, blameless, godly -- a good example.
Listen up. Take the time..with Him. Let's know Christ well, and make Him well known.
Hey Buckeroo, the Bible has a lot to say about anxiety, but the word itself may not be found all that often. In the English Standard Version, it is used 8 times.
In the New International Version, it is found 7 times. The King James Version does not use the word at all. Synonyms like trouble, heaviness, distress, and cares are used in its place.
The specific causes of anxiety are probably more than can be enumerated, but a few examples from the Bible point to some general causes.
In Genesis 32, Jacob is returning home after many years away. One of the reasons he had left home was to escape the anger of his brother, Esau, from whom Jacob had stolen the birthright and blessing from their father.
Now, as Jacob nears his homeland, he hears that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men. Jacob is immediately anxious, expecting a horrible battle with his brother. In this case, the anxiety is caused by a broken relationship and a guilty conscience.
In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah is distressed because she was unable to conceive children and she was being taunted by Peninnah, her husband's other wife. Her distress is caused by unfulfilled desires and the harassment of a rival.Ditch your fears and worries. In Esther 4, the Jewish people were all anxious because of a royal decree allowing them to be totally massacred. So many people hate the Jews again in our day -- it's wrong! Show them love instead please. Show it towards all peoples. Anyway Jewish Queen Esther was also anxious because she was planning to risk her life on behalf of rescuing her people. Not always as easy as rolling off a log. Fear of death and the unknown is a key element of anxiety. Hey, let's ditch our fears and bad feelings by praying in faith.
Hey, not all anxiety is sinful. In 1 Corinthians 7:32, Paul states that an unmarried man is “anxious” about pleasing the Lord, while a married man is “anxious” about pleasing his wife (ESV). In this case, the anxiety isn't a sinful fear but a deep, proper concern.
Probably the best-known passage on anxiety comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6. Our Lord warns us against being anxious about the various cares of this life. For the child of God, even necessities like food and clothing are nothing to worry about. Using examples from God's creation, Jesus teaches that our Heavenly Father knows our needs and cares about them. If God takes care of simple things like grass, flowers, and birds, won't He also care for people who are created in His image? Rather than worry over things we cannot control, we should "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] will be added to you" (verse 33). Putting God first is a cure for anxiety.
Many times people have a sin breakdown. Bottomline.. often times, anxiety, stress or inordinate-concern is the result of sin, and the cure is to deal with the sin. Psalm 32:1-5 says that the person whose sin is forgiven is blessed, and the heavy weight of guilt is taken away when sins are confessed. Is a broken relationship creating anxiety? Try to make peace (2 Corinthians 13:11). Is fear of the unknown leading to anxiety? Turn the situation over to the God who knows everything and is in control of it all (Psalm 68:20). Are overwhelming circumstances causing anxiety? Have faith in God. When the disciples became distressed in a storm, Jesus first rebuked their lack of faith, then rebuked the wind and the waves (Matthew 8:23-27). As long as we are with Jesus, there is nothing to fear.
