Proverbs 3:5-6
Sometimes we think we are doing a much better job of trusting God than we actually are. If you’re anything like me, maybe you recognize the signs. You ask God for direction and then:
—Give him a menu of options to choose from
—Run your own plan past Him for His sign off and approval
—Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, hoping you’ll eventually hit the jackpot
—Chase after a goal that you believe is your purpose or calling
Sound familiar? I confess I have pretty much done all of these things at one time or another. Instead of waiting on God to show me what’s next—in His timing—I’ve chased after a career, a relationship, or personal goals that I think are going to bring me a greater sense of purpose, fulfillment, or joy. Yet often they’ve left me disappointed, empty, and unfulfilled. It can be hard to fully relinquish control and trust God’s ways over our own. Yet we are told to simply surrender to Him.
I love how The Message paraphrases Romans 8:12: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life—and place it before God as an offering.” What if we gave our time, our energy, and our calendars over to God? Would we start to notice more God-appointed, tailor-made opportunities that He sprinkles throughout our day? Would we have more flexibility to follow His nudging and take His lead? When we take the focus off ourselves and what we want, we often start to see the hand of God in our lives—everywhere we look.
As Lysa TerKeurst writes in her book, “Uninvited”: “Though we can’t predict His specific plans, the fact that God will work everything together for good is a completely predictable promise.” If we truly trust God with our lives, He will give us a purpose and a role to play in His Kingdom work, that is far better than anything we could come up with ourselves.
So that rough draft you’ve made of your future? Give it to Him and let Him turn it into a masterpiece.
