God gives unending peace
How parents can combat worry when preparing for back-to-school
Summer is ending and school is beginning. Before we know it, it’s back to supply lists, bedtimes, and that ever-present worry over your kids’ physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
I’m a parent. And I worry.
I don’t think it will shock anyone when I say that school is not always great. Peer pressure, shifting values, and messages that don’t reflect what we believe often abound in academia. These concerns are real, but they are not new. And more importantly, God’s word gives us a clear response: “Do not worry.”
Jesus says in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Jesus isn’t denying life’s challenges. He is reminding us that God sees what we cannot. He is with our children at the bus stop, in the lunchroom, and in every classroom. We will not always be there, but He will.
Still, it’s hard. As parents, I know I feel the weight of that responsibility. We want to guard our kids from harmful influences and keep their minds grounded in truth. The world teaches self above service, image above integrity, and achievement above character.
But Romans 12:2 calls us to live differently: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Our job is not to shelter our children from every challenge, but to guide them toward God in the middle of it.
We can do this in small, steady ways. We can pray with our children before school, ask about their day, and point them back to Scripture when they feel confused or alone. We can remind them that they are loved not for their performance, but because they are children of God.
Back-to-school season can stir up anxiety, but it also offers a new beginning. It offers a chance to trust more deeply. To let go of fear and lean on the One who loves our children even more than we do. So, when you pack their lunches and send them off each morning, take a moment to breathe.
It’s okay.
God is with them. And He is with you, too.
Written by Nik Holman, content specialist, Buckner International
