“Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” – Psalm 62:8
Do you trust God? I had to ask myself this question several times the past couple of weeks. I am currently in a season of life where many aspects of my future feel up in the air, and as a result, I have been worrying about how my life will generally turn out. God willing, we have so many years ahead of us, and we can often fall into the trap of being overly concerned about what our future will look like. Of course, it is important to plan and work towards your dreams, but what does it mean when we become too worried about our future?
Personally, I know I am not putting my full faith in God’s ability when I’ve become increasingly preoccupied with some aspect of my life, so much so that it leads to worry and anxiety.
For some, the way to recognize a lack of trust in God is becoming too self-reliant, where you, consciously or not, lean too much on yourself and not enough of God, leaving Him out of your plans. For others, it could appear as doubt, unbelief, or pessimism, where you begin to question whether or not God is in control and working in your life because it may not seem that way in the moment. Regardless of how this lack of trust may manifest, it takes introspection and honesty with oneself to recognize this. I had to ask myself, “Do I truly and wholeheartedly believe that God’s plan for my life is good and is coming to fruition?” It takes vulnerability with God to let Him in and take control. This requires relinquishing your will and admittedly, in the face of uncertainty, this can be extremely challenging. However, we serve a good a God who exceedingly loves us and never fails.
One important thing I want to add is that it is okay to have grace for yourself when you do have moments or seasons of unbelief, doubt, or frustration toward God. Don’t let these emotions cause you to sin, but understand this is a part of the Christian walk, and we will face problems that can rock our faith. The most important thing is to recognize these feelings and address them. Remember, God is our Father, so we can candidly and reverently express our feelings to Him.
In times when our trust in God is wavering, one helpful thing to do is to remember the ways He has been faithful to you in the past. Coming out of a difficult place and looking back to see that God has always had a plan. Psalm 119:2 says, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!” (NKJV) Our testimonies of God’s faithfulness can be powerful sources of encouragement for ourselves and others. In all, we must rest assured with the knowledge that everything will work out for our good as long as we commit our ways to the Lord and involve Him in all our plans, dreams, and aspirations.
These are things I have been applying to my life more intentionally, and I encourage you to do the same if you find yourself in a similar place. I pray that God continues to strengthen our trust in Him.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.” – Psalm 37:3-6 (NKJV)
