Max Lucado's free C.A.L.M. guides for adults and young readers will help center you on the truths of God when you are feeling anxious or stressed. ![]() Could you use a little less worry and a little more calm right now? Get the free printable C.A.L.M. guides from Max Lucado
Editors Note: Hey Friends!
We have a free gift for you that we pray will be a blessing in these challenging times. Author and Bible teacher Max Lucado has partnered with Devotionals Daily to give away free downloads of his popular C.A.L.M guide printables... and we know you're going to love the new illustrated version from his brand-new Anxious for Nothing Young Readers edition!
Maybe you could use a little less worry and a little more CALM right now, too? Let's learn how to use the C.A.L.M acronym to Celebrate God's goodness, Ask God for help, Leave your concerns with Him, and Meditate on good things.
Enjoy the printables and keep scrolling to read an exclusive excerpt from the new Young Readers edition of Anxious for Nothing (we think it's great for all ages!). With your free download you'll start to receive Devotionals Daily emails every morning, with inspiring devotions from favorite Christian authors.
Contagious Calm by Max Lucado, from Anxious for Nothing (Young Readers Edition) ![]() In 1962, four Russian submarines sailed to the coast of Florida. The submarines had been on a long, rough journey, and the men inside were tired. They had hit a hurricane that caused them to ride fifty-foot waves. They sailed through warm ocean waters that caused the temperature in their submarines to rise to 120 degrees.
The Russian men were exhausted, anxious, and tired of being cooped up inside hot submarines. Then, they found out American ships were following them. The Russians thought they were under attack.
The captain of the submarine fleet lost his cool. He gathered his staff and pounded the table with his fists.
"We're going to blast them now! We will die, but we will sink them all — we will not disgrace our Navy!"
During this time, Russia and the United States did not get along. An attack could have caused a third world war. But then an officer named Vasili Arkhipov asked for a moment with the captain. The two men stepped to the side. Vasili urged the captain to reconsider. He suggested they talk to the Americans before reacting. The captain listened.
His anger cooled.
The Russian submarines eventually dove down deep underwater where the American ships couldn't see them. Then they sailed safely home to Russia.
That day, one calm man stopped a war from starting. His calm affected his captain, and countless lives were saved. One historian said, "The lesson from this [event] is that a guy named [Vasili] Arkhipov saved the world."
You might be wondering why I'm sharing this story with you. You're not in the navy. You've probably never been on a submarine. But you know what it's like to be stressed. You know what it's like to have a hard class or a coach who yells at you or a parent who is sick. You know what it's like to be under pressure like the Russians on that submarine.
When we're in situations like this, it's tempting to lose our temper and get angry. Or to make decisions too quickly like the Russian captain tried to do. It's tempting to lose our calm, lose control, and do something we regret. Have you ever done this? Maybe you were stressed about school and snapped at your younger sister when she asked you a question. Or maybe you said something mean to a friend or yelled at your mom or were disrespectful to your dad. We all do things we regret when we're stressed and anxious. But we can learn to be calm like Vasili Arkhipov, even when life around us is not.
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. — James 1:19 NIV
You Are Never Alone
This is the way of living that Paul called for in Philippians 4:5–6:
Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything.
Do you know anyone who is gentle and kind? Someone who speaks softly, who says kind things to others, who doesn't get angry often? We are drawn to people like this.
They help calm us down when we're stressed. We feel safe around them. Paul tells us we should all be gentle and kind so others will notice.
Vasili Arkhipov's gentleness calmed down the submarine captain. Calm is contagious. If you have a cold, you are contagious. You stay away from friends and family so they won't catch it. Calmness works in the same way, except it's a good thing to spread! When you are around a person who is calm, it makes you calmer. You catch their contagious calm.
A person who has contagious calm reminds others, "God is in control."
It's the captain of the football team who says, "Don't worry. We're losing now, but we'll catch up." It's the teacher who reminds you, "The test will be difficult, but you are smart and prepared. You can handle it." It's the type of person who makes you feel calm in the face of something that usually makes you feel anxious.
How can you become one of these people? Just look at our verse again: "The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything." Another translation of this verse says, "The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything" (NIV).
The Lord is near! You are not alone. You may feel alone, but God is with you in every moment.
Just look at some of these verses from the Old Testament.
God told Isaac, "Don't be afraid, because I am with you" (Genesis 26:24).
He told Joshua, "Don't be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go" (Joshua 1:9).
God even calls Himself Immanuel, which means "God with us." And God became flesh and bone just like us when Jesus came and lived on the earth. God couldn't get any closer than that! And now we have the Holy Spirit, who is God's spirit. The Spirit comforts and guides us.
Bread and Fish
Because the Lord is near, we don't have to worry about anything. Even when we feel as if we are drowning under tasks, expectations, and just life, He is there. And He is able to handle all of those things that make us feel overwhelmed.
You know the feeling. You know the fear that freezes your brain when the information is too much to learn. Or the change is too great to make. Or the options are too many to choose from. Or the sadness is too deep to see past.
Or the mountain is too tall to climb. Or the crowd is too many to feed.
At least that is what the disciples told Jesus. Have you heard the story? Let's look at John 6:1-4:
After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias). Many people followed him because they saw the miracles he did to heal the sick. Jesus went up on a hill and sat down there with his followers. It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast.
At a certain point Jesus realized that the crowd had nothing to eat. They had no more food in their sacks, and they were out in the country. The gospel of Matthew, which also tells this story, says there were five thousand men in the crowd, plus women and children. There were probably more than fifteen thousand people there! And they were all hungry.
When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?" (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him, because Jesus already knew what he planned to do.)
Philip answered, "Someone would have to work almost a year to buy enough bread for each person to have only a little piece."
Another one of his followers, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, "Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people." — John 6:5–9
How did Philip and Andrew respond? Philip was negative, saying it would be impossible to get enough money to buy food for all the people. Andrew said the five loaves and fish the little boy had offered wasn't enough. And he wasn't wrong. What the boy had was definitely not enough, but the disciples were forgetting one thing. They were in the presence of Jesus. They had been following Him around for a while now. They had watched Him teach, do miracles, and be so incredible that fifteen thousand people had gathered to listen to Him that day.
Yet Philip, a practical guy, looked out over the sea of faces. He heard the murmurs and imagined the grumbling stomachs. And he replied with no hesitation:
"We ain't got what it takes to face this challenge. Our wallet hasn't got the cash. There are too many mouths and not enough dollars."
Note that each person talked about the overwhelming number of people in need of food:
Jesus' question: "Where can we buy enough bread for all these people?" (verse 5).
Philip's response: "Someone would have to work almost a year to buy enough bread for each person to have only a little piece" (verse 7).
Andrew's idea was to start with the boy's meal. But then he said: "That is not enough for so many people" (verse 9).
Jesus acknowledged "all these people." Philip saw no help for the feast it would take to offer "each person" a bite. Andrew had an idea, but the suggestion wilted in the face (or faces) of "so many people."
Have you felt like that? Your big challenge might be "all this homework" or "all these fights" or "all these illnesses."
Whatever it is, the need is far greater than the supply.
You feel as hopeless as Philip and as small as Andrew.
We'd like to think that Jesus' followers would respond with more faith. Before this day, they had seen Him...
heal leprosy (Matthew 8:3), and raise a girl from the dead (Matthew 9:25).
They counted the hungry people, the money in their bag, and the amount of bread and fish. They did not, however, count on Christ.
And He was standing right there! He could not have been nearer. They could see, hear, touch, maybe even smell Him. Yet the idea of asking for His help did not dawn on them.
Even so, Jesus went right to work.
Jesus said, "Tell the people to sit down." There was plenty of grass there, and about five thousand men sat down there. Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, thanked God for them, and gave them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted.
When they had all had enough to eat, Jesus said to his followers, "Gather the leftover pieces of fish and bread so that nothing is wasted." So they gathered up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left from the five barley loaves. — John 6:10–13
I imagine the people sprawled out on the green grass, so full and satisfied that they needed a nap. Hungry bellies became happy bellies. There was so much food that there were twelve baskets of leftovers. The impossible challenge of feeding "all these people" became the unforgettable miracle of all these people fed.
This is what happens when we ask Jesus for what we need. Our problems are never too big for Him. He is never overwhelmed.
What we cannot do, Christ does!
Dear God, But I know You are able to perform miracles. You can heal people. You can help with friend- ships and relationships. I need Your help today, God. I give all of these worries to you. Please take care of them. Calm my anxiety. Give me contagious calm so that I feel peaceful and bring calm to everyone around me. In Jesus' name, amen.
Excerpted with permission from Anxious for Nothing Young Readers Edition by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
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by Max Lucado
Anxious for Nothing (Young Reader's Edition) helps young people overcome the anxiety and pressures of today's world and come to a deeper understanding of God's loving presence as promised in Philippians 4:6-7, drawing on content from Max Lucado's bestselling book of the same name. Hardcover, Regular: $15.99 eBook price: $8.99 + free U.S. shipping* on orders $35 or more In this chaotic age of social media, packed schedules, and an increasing awareness of the world's problems, it's normal for young people to feel overwhelmed sometimes.
But the good news of the gospel has not changed. This encouraging book will help tweens and teens take control of their feelings and choose to focus on God's truth.
This much-needed book adapts content from You Are Not Alone and Anxious for Nothing. With the warmth and authenticity that has made him a beloved pastor and writer, Max Lucado middle graders and tweens:
This special edition of Anxious for Nothing also includes:
Practical, motivating, and biblically grounded, Anxious for Nothing (Young Readers Edition) is a timely book for kids who feels overwhelmed, lonely, or anxious, or who simply want to experience God's abundant joy and peace.
Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World
Does the uncertainty and chaos of life keep you up at night? Is irrational anxiety your constant companion? Let God help you win the war on worry and receive the lasting peace of Christ.
Download the C.A.L.M guide above, get your copy of Anxious for Nothing and join Max Lucado on the journey to true freedom and experience more joy, clarity, physical renewal, and contentment by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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