Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22, NIV

Do you find yourself ready to burst into tears at the very thought of heading back to school this year? Maybe you thought this summer break would rejuvenate you and give you the energy and fresh perspective you needed to dive back in, but summer is almost over and you don’t feel any more rejuvenated. In fact, you might feel even more discouraged now than ever.

If that’s you, you are not crazy, and you are not alone. However, you probably already know what you need—God.

When I felt this way a few years ago, I realized that I was putting my hope in so many other things to get me through challenging times. I had put my hope in time away to rejuvenate me, or in my own intellect to come up with solutions. Instead, I needed to go to God. I needed to trust in Him and rely on Him. So I spent some serious time in prayer. I wrote down a list of things that I knew to be true that I wasn’t believing. I confessed my unbelief, asked God for help, and determined to believe what I knew to be true—and then rested in that belief. I aimed to stop stressing and striving and to simply rest in Him, even as everything swirled around me.

And, you know what? While all the challenges were still present, the crippling anxiety was not. God gave me the fresh perspective and energy that I needed. He gave me the ability to show up each day and do that day’s work. And He’s been teaching me ever since what it looks like to trust Him each day with all of the challenges and uncertainties.

So, if you feel that you simply cannot go back—go to Him. Tell Him about all of your fears and uncertainties and exhaustion. Ask Him to reveal to you the truths you need to believe. Write them down, and cling to them. He will see you through. This battle will only be won on your knees!

Father, counsel our hearts when we are anxious about the work you’ve given. Help us to daily lay “our own understanding” at the foot of the cross and move forward trusting the path you’ve set before us. Amen. 

Copyright Linda Kardamis.

Linda is the founder of Teach 4 the Heart, a website that provides practical help and biblical encouragement for Christian teachers. She’s also one of the co-creators of the annual Rise Up Summit.