“But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” — Psalm 3:3
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Sports can be a place of a lot of highs, but also many lows. The intensity that used to be found mostly in professional sports has made its way to youth sports, and it can be a lot. Mental health professionals are called more often now than in previous decades to help these young people navigate the emotional roller coaster of winning and losing, dealing with injuries, relationship problems, depression and anxiety, as well as substance abuse issues. Coaches now have to be prepared to navigate when a player or coach is no longer with the team due to mental health issues or when they sadly take their lives.
In America, deaths by suicide are more common now than in the past, with the numbers increasing in the last 25 years. Among young people, the problem is devastating.
Why do we have such a serious and growing problem? Drug abuse, excessive drinking, anxiety, depression, loneliness and financial stress are some major reasons. Furthermore, victims of bullying struggle to deal with constant attacks, especially when a group of people keeps pushing them beyond their limits. Even though we’d rather not think about this issue, we need to look to God for answers and give hope to everybody in our community, and do what we can to prevent these premature deaths. In doing so, we need to avoid harsh or critical attitudes and show compassion and the love of Jesus.
When David wrote his psalms, he was often depressed when he started, but God lifted his mind to Heaven by the time he wrote the last verse. The Holy Spirit guided his mind away from despair. When distress overwhelmed David because King Saul was jealous of his military success and tried to kill him several times, David gained courage by reminding himself about the power and love of God. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). It was too much for David to handle on his own, but not too hard for God.
Throughout the ministry of Jesus, He gave hope to the hopeless and He continues to do so today. He sees our tears and feels our pain, just as He did with His disciples. Jesus knew the disciples worried about the future and He reassured them with a promise for the future. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).
Jesus is the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3, above), and we can look to Him to restore our hope, confidence and joy. Through Him, we can overcome despair and discouragement as we set our eyes on Him. He promises to comfort us, protect us and lift us out of whatever overwhelming pit we find ourselves in, to give us a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). This isn’t always easy when despair has a hold on us, but Psalm 16:8 offers a promise to cling to when we keep our eyes on Him over our troubles: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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