Finding God’s Peace in Back-to-School Chaos: 4 Ways to Slow Down and Refocus
Back To School
Audio By Carbonatix
4:30 AM on Thursday, September 25
By Amber Ginter, Back To School
As a former teacher, one thing I don’t miss about teaching is the madness of back-to-school. Though we’ve finally reached September, I know from a professional standpoint that things are just getting started. As a student, teacher, parent, or college student, this time of year isn’t just busy; it’s downright stressful. It takes until December to get used to the routine, but after Christmas break, it takes another four months to get into the groove again, just in time to leave for the summer and repeat the cycle all over again. Talk about an exhausting ebb and flow of scheduling! But what if things didn’t have to always be this way?
It’s been said that “busyness” is a choice, and in many ways I agree. We’re often as busy as we schedule ourselves to be. However, many things in life aren’t just unpredictable and chaotic by design. Going to school and work day after day takes some getting used to. Playing a sport in high school and college comes with long days and longer nights. Packing lunches, doing chores, and fitting into appointments feels too much to handle. Can I get an “Amen”?
Despite all that’s happening around us, here’s the good news: It’s possible to prioritize what matters, even in the busyness. Here are four things I recommend:
1. Prioritize Your Quiet Time with God
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Prioritize time with God. But I’m serious. If you don’t, it’ll be the first thing to go when it should be the last. We think God can wait. And He can. The problem is we can’t. We need Him every single day. For every breath, decision, and step we take. He’s the oxygen to our lungs.
What if I don’t have time? I get that feeling. Trust me. Working around the clock and caring for a family and dog, plus chores and errands, can squeeze out any energy we have left. But I want to challenge you: Even 10 minutes of prayer, journaling, or Scripture in the morning or evening can re-center your soul and give you strength for your day. You can even break it into 5-minute segments in the morning or evening, if that’s better for you.
Like kids prepping their backpacks every morning for school, communicating with God before our day begins is like putting on our spiritual backpack. Without it, we won’t be prepared to handle the day. With it, we will always have everything we need and more.
2. Choose People Over Pressure
It’s tempting and so easy to get swept away by sports schedules, activity calendars, and endless to-do lists (including that crazy pick-up sports schedule). I remember seeing students juggle way too many hobbies and breaking mentally and physically in class. One thing always stood out to me: They’re kids. They’re too young for this much pressure and stress.
No matter who you are, kids (students, friends, or a spouse) won’t always remember what you accomplished, but they will remember how present you were. If saying “no” to that extra commitment means more time with those you love, it’s always worth it. If saying “no” means you’ll have more time in the Word, it’s a given. If saying “no” keeps you sane and less busy, you know what you need to do, even if it’s hard and countercultural.
3. Practice Sabbath Moments
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, busyness is partially a choice. While we can’t control everything, one thing we can control is our calendar. Building margin into your week and scheduling those breaks on your calendar can make a world of difference. Even if it’s just an unplugged family dinner, a walk in nature, 10 minutes of silence in the morning, or a night with no scheduled events, you’d be surprised how much Sabbath can help.
From the beginning, God created the Sabbath for us. Sadly, our culture has ignored this command altogether. While ignoring rest makes us holy, it makes us cranky, disobedient, restless, and stressed to the max. Choosing to practice Sabbath moments is something we were created to do all along. And Jesus never asks us to do something He Himself wasn’t willing to do. I’m pretty sure He could’ve been one of the busiest individuals on the planet, and yet, He took time to prioritize things that mattered most—time with the Father, and time in rest. He reminds us that peace is found not in striving but in abiding in Christ alone (John 15:5).
4. Start with Scripture, Not Socials
By 2025, it’s clear we’re all addicted to our phones. It’s the last thing we see before we drift off to sleep and the first thing we stare at in the morning while we wipe sleep from our eyes. But instead of grabbing your phone first thing, open a physical Bible (or your Bible app if you must), read a Scripture verse card, or pray. Only after you’ve spent time in the Word should you scroll, text, email, or check the weather.
Just a single verse can anchor your day in truth before the noise begins (Psalm 119:105). Because let’s be honest—something will always be fighting for your attention, but you get to decide which voice to listen to. The voice of chaos that never sleeps, or the voice of peace that offers rest even in the busiest seasons.
Friends, back-to-school is stressful. I don’t miss those days and am thankful for my new career. These times can feel like a sprint. And yet, life is a marathon. We need a slow and steady pace to get us through. We can step into a new rhythm of grace by fixing our eyes on what truly matters—our faith, people, and rest. We were created for a world of peace instead of chaos from the Prince of Peace Himself. By deliberately trying these habits, we’re enabling ourselves to fulfill what 1 Corinthians 14:33 describes about Jesus: “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,” (NIV).
As in all the churches of the saints, friends, will you display peace, confusion, and chaos? Today, choose to make room for what matters most. In a world that screams productivity, busyness, and color-coded schedules, choose to simplify—even if those around you don’t understand. Live a life that honors God, not one that doesn’t have room for Him.
He deserves to be a priority in and out of school, back to classes or not. He deserves the best of us, not our leftovers. And as we seek Him first and make a choice, everything else will fall into place. I promise you the to-do list and chaos will still be there, but He’s with us amidst it. And over time, with practice, we will learn to see Him in and through it all. Guiding us by the hand like a loving Father does for His children. Like we can do for those we parent around us.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/monkeybusinessimages
Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.
