Youth Reflections
This term, Kerith Youth in Bracknell have been looking at a few of the prophets in the Old Testament and talking about how they were able to keep holding onto faith in God through the highs and lows of life. At one of our recent Friday night youth gatherings in Bracknell, Hannah, one of our amazing youth leaders, gave a great message on Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who had simply had enough.
He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” - 1 Kings 19:4b
Life is full of ups and downs; at times, it can feel like a relentless cycle of triumphs and disappointments. It can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and scary, as though you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Our mental, emotional, and spiritual health is deeply important to God, and Hannah was able to share a great perspective on how God responds to Elijah’s hurt and pain.
A profoundly important point Hannah made was: God did not merely make Elijah’s pain go away. Rather, God taught Elijah what to do when life gets tough and overwhelming, and we are anxious, depressed, and afraid.
Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once, an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. - 1 Kings 19:5-6
God does not belittle Elijah or tell him to stop feeling that way. Rather, God feeds him, waters him, and encourages him to sleep. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is take care of our bodies.
We are no different to Elijah. We will all experience seasons and times in our lives when things happen outside of our control, and it can become overwhelming. For some of us, we may find that we are struggling with how we are feeling. For this blog post, we wanted to signpost some of the resources, projects, and charities that have been set up to support young people who may be struggling with their mental health:
Headstrong is a project led by the Christian charity Youthscape, supported by the Mind and Soul Foundation.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
YoungMinds is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people and empowering them to look after their mental health.
