Cast your anxiety on God
How to cope with anxiety surrounding the new school year
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
As backpacks fill with fresh pencils and crisp folders, and school buses rumble back into the neighborhood, a familiar weight can creep into a parent’s heart—the stress of another school year. It comes with early alarms, homework battles, shifting routines, and the deep desire to make sure our children thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
The beginning of a school year often magnifies our anxieties. Are they ready? Will they be safe? Can I juggle it all—lunches, transportation, work schedules, and after-school chaos?
Take a breath.
God did not design you to carry this alone. His Word invites you to cast—to throw—your anxiety on Him. Not just politely hand it over or talk about it with clenched fists, but to cast it. Fully, freely, and faithfully.
Why?
Because He cares. About you. About your children. About your calendar. About the details, the discipline, the development of your family.
There’s beauty in realizing you are not the sole orchestrator of your child’s success or the glue holding every plan together. God is the ultimate Shepherd, and He is present in the school hallways, the car rides, the tearful drop-offs, and the late-night homework struggles.
Let this school year be different. Let it be Spirit-led instead of stress-filled. Before you pack a lunch or check a supply list, pause and pray. Before you scroll for parenting tips or over-schedule the calendar, ask for wisdom. Surrender the pressure to be perfect. Rest in the truth that grace covers every late permission slip and missed opportunity.
Your presence, prayer, and patience matter more than perfection.
Andi Harrison, senior director for foster care and adoption, Buckner International
