Somehow I thought this fall we would find everything magically clicking back into place, but as we all know, that is just not how it’s shaping up.
Things are still out of our control, which increases my desire to “micro-manage” life. I try to take control of things that I can in hopes of creating more stability around me. Not surprisingly, I have found that this “micro-managing” plan never quite works out. The big things are still big things, and I end up holding tighter to things that really just don’t matter.
This summer, I started processing what trust looks like and realized that I am not trusting of very much right now.
That’s not how Jesus has called us to live.
When anxiety starts creeping in, and life feels more chaotic, I need to stop and ask, “Am I trusting God with… (fill in the blank)?” If the answer is “No,” I need to stop and pray about it. If the answer is a “Yes,” then I need to re-relinquish the thing I’m am anxious about back to God with hands open.
For example, if I become concerned about my son’s behavior and the direction of his heart, my prayer needs to be:
“You have a plan for my child. You love him more than I can even imagine. I am going to trust him to you. Please guide him in your direction.”
It doesn’t mean that you disengage, but you let go of the anxiety of not having control. To say it simply, you exchange worry for trust.
You may have to do this repeatedly… maybe daily or even hourly… but in the end, friends, exchange worry for trust.
For a practical application, take a few minutes to write down what is making you anxious. It may be a few things or 40 things…. COVID, school, finances, weight, friendships… if there is something that you can tangibly change on your list, take charge and do it. Mend a friendship, change a behavior. But, if an item does not have a direct step to make it different, hand it over in prayer.
Romans 15:13 says, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
I love the idea of living with peace and confident hope. It is not easy, but friends, I think it’s something worth fighting for. HLLF –
