Family Devotional
Don’t Phlip Out
The book of Philippians tells us what we should do when we’re stressed and worried.
Don’t Worry About Anything
Imagine packing your backpack for school and accidentally stuffing a heavy bowling ball inside it! Every step you take down the sidewalk feels super exhausting, your shoulders ache, and it’s totally impossible to run or play tag with your friends. Worrying about things—like an upcoming spelling test, who you’ll sit with at lunch, or a tough sports game—is just like carrying a giant, heavy bowling ball around in your heart all day long!
It is totally normal to feel anxious or nervous when we don’t know what’s going to happen next. But carrying all that worry around makes us feel tired, grumpy, and overwhelmed inside. God loves us way too much to let us carry heavy burdens all by ourselves! He wants us to trade our nervous thoughts for His perfect peace by giving all our worries directly to Him through prayer.
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
So what does trading your worry for God’s peace actually look like in real life? It means pausing the moment a nervous thought pops into your head and turning it into a conversation with Jesus! Instead of lying awake in bed overthinking or chewing on your fingernails at your desk, you can talk to God just like you would talk to a best friend. Tell Him exactly what is making you feel scared, and then thank Him for always taking care of you.
Whenever you start to feel that heavy, anxious feeling in your stomach, give yourself a quick prayer check! Ask yourself: “Am I trying to carry this heavy worry all by myself, or have I handed it over to Jesus?” You don’t have to figure everything out on your own because God is bigger than any problem you will ever face. Pray about everything today and show His amazing love and calm confidence to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you could invent a silly machine that instantly turns nervous thoughts into something fun, what would it shoot out and what funny sound would it make?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was something you used to worry about a lot, and how did you learn to trust God with it?
- Why is it sometimes really hard to stop worrying when a situation at school or home feels totally out of our control, and how can prayer help us stay calm?
- What is one specific worry our family can pray about together right now so we can hand it over to God this week?
Freedom From Frenzy
Imagine your mom or dad calling out, “Time to leave!” while you are frantically looking for your lost shoe, your homework is scattered all over the living room floor, the dog is barking, and your phone or tablet is dinging with notifications. Your heart starts beating super fast, and you feel totally stressed, overwhelmed, and completely frazzled! That crazy, super rushed feeling in your chest is called frenzy, and it can make an ordinary day feel totally out of control.
Living in a constant rush doesn’t just make us lose our shoes—it can also make us lose our patience and peace! When our lives get completely packed with activities, screens, and noise, it becomes really hard to hear God’s voice or show kindness to our family. God cares deeply about our busy schedules because He wants us to slow down and find rest in Him, instead of letting daily busyness control our lives!
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God.
So what does stepping out of the frenzy and into God’s peace actually look like in real life? It means intentionally hitting the pause button on your day! Instead of rushing straight from school to a screen or jumping into the next activity with a grumpy attitude, you can take a deep breath and give yourself a quick quiet break. Taking time to be still helps you clear your mind and remember that God is in total control of your day.
Whenever you start to feel that frantic, super rushed feeling bubbling up inside you, give yourself a quick peace check! Ask yourself: “Am I letting the hurry control me, or am I taking a moment to be still with God?” You can choose to step away from the noise, say a quick prayer, and ask Jesus to fill your heart with calm. When you choose to slow down, you can win the battle over busyness and show His amazing peace to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you had a super-powered freeze ray that could pause any chaotic moment in your day for five whole minutes, when would you use it and what funny pose would everyone be frozen in?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was a time you felt super overwhelmed or rushed, and how did you learn to slow down?
- Why is it sometimes really hard to pause and be still when everyone around us is hurrying or when we have a super busy schedule, and how can Jesus help us find calm?
- What is one practical quiet moment our family can spend together this week to slow down, be still, and focus on God?
Think About Lovely Things
Imagine wearing a pair of dark, foggy sunglasses on a bright sunny day. Everything outside looks grey, gloomy, and kind of scary, even though the sun is shining as bright as ever! That’s exactly what happens in our minds when we let negative, gloomy thoughts take over. Thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “Nobody wants to play with me,” or “Today is going to be terrible” act like dark sunglasses, making us feel sad, grumpy, and overwhelmed inside.
The truth is, what we focus on in our minds shapes how we feel and act all day long! When we dwell on bad stuff, our mood stays down and we end up missing out on the good things around us. God cares deeply about what happens inside our heads because He wants our minds to be filled with truth, confidence, and peace. That’s why He gives us an awesome strategy in the Bible to help us swap out bad thoughts for good ones!
Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
So what does thinking about lovely things actually look like in real life? When the Bible talks about “lovely” thoughts, it simply means focusing on the good stuff! It means reminding yourself that Jesus loves you, that God made you special with unique talents, and that you can make good choices today. Instead of letting your brain replay embarrassing moments or negative comments from school, you can choose to fix your mind on God’s promises and the blessings in your life.
Whenever a dark or gloomy thought tries to sneak into your brain, give yourself a quick mind check! Ask yourself: “Is this thought true, loving, and helpful, or is it making me feel like I’m wearing dark sunglasses?” You can make the active choice to throw off that bad thought and replace it with a “lovely” truth—like how much God loves you or something you are thankful for. When you fill your mind with good stuff, you’ll win the battle in your head and show Jesus’ amazing love to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you could design a pair of super-futuristic, wacky glasses that made everything you look at turn into your favorite food or cartoon character, what would you see?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was a negative thought you used to struggle with, and how did you learn to replace it with a good thought?
- Why is it sometimes really easy to focus on bad thoughts when someone says something mean or when we make a mistake, and how can Jesus help us change our focus?
- What is one specific “lovely” thought or Bible promise our family can focus on together every day this week whenever we start feeling down?
Keep Practicing What You’ve Learned
Imagine picking up a basketball or sitting down at a piano for the very first time. You wouldn’t expect to sink every three-pointer or play a flawless concert song on day one! The first time you try, you might miss the rim or hit a bunch of wrong notes, and that’s totally okay. Getting really good at any skill—whether it’s playing a sport, drawing, or playing a video game—takes tons of time, energy, and repeating the same steps over and over until it becomes second nature.
Following Jesus and living out what the Bible teaches works the exact same way! You don’t instantly become a super patient, loving, and calm person the second you hear a Sunday school lesson. Choosing to pray instead of worrying, stopping “stinkin’ thinkin’,” and speaking kind words are skills that require everyday effort. God loves watching us grow, and He wants us to keep working on the good things we’ve learned so they become built-in habits in our lives!
Philippians 4:9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
So what does putting truth into practice actually look like in real-life action? It means taking what you learn from church, family devotions, and the Bible and actually using it when things get tricky! When you feel a wave of worry or anger coming on, you don’t just give up. Instead, you use your spiritual “life hacks”: you pause, pray, thank God for His help, and switch your mind to good, encouraging thoughts.
Whenever you catch yourself slipping into bad habits or making a mistake, give yourself a quick practice check! Ask yourself: “What is one good thing I’ve learned that I can practice right now?” You don’t have to be perfect, because learning to walk with Jesus is a daily journey. Keep building those spiritual muscles every single day, and you’ll win at showing His amazing peace and love to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you could instantly become a world-class professional at any sport, game, or musical instrument without practicing, what awesome skill would you choose?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was a skill or sport you had to practice for a long time before you finally got good at it?
- Why is it sometimes really frustrating when we try to make good choices but still end up making mistakes, and how can Jesus help us keep trying?
- What is one specific Bible truth or healthy habit our family can practice together every single day this week?
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