How to Trust God Enough to Say “Your Way, Not Mine”

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When it comes to trusting God, I will be one of the first to admit that it is difficult for me. I am imperfect and human, so I have the tendency to want things my way. Life doesn’t work that way, though. Daily, it is a battle between my own desires and letting the Lord have complete control. I know in my head that his ways are better than mine, but living that out requires intentionally letting go. How can we trust God enough to let him have his way in our lives instead of trying to control everything? It takes some action on our part to make it happen. 

Here are some ways to help us trust God enough to say, “Your way, not mine”:

Stop Trying to Control and Manipulate Things in Your Life

As humans, we are experts at trying to control our own lives. Yes, we do have to take charge of what we actually can control, but this relates more to things that we are not in control of. Tragedies will happen, people will make decisions we don’t like, and not everything will go as we want it to. Our natural reaction to this can sometimes be trying to take control by our own means, or manipulating things so we get what we want. When we try to do this, it can end up hurting people and our relationships with them; we can end up stressed and anxious with unmet expectations, and possibly missed opportunities. Control and manipulation more often lead to a miserable life, not a happy one. 

If we are willing to let go, we can experience all the things that the Lord has for us. We can have peace, joy, and confidence knowing he will do what he says he will do. As our loving Father, he knows what is best for us. Even though life is hard, we can know that he will use our trials for good. If we don’t get what we wanted in a situation, we can trust that he has something better. Most of all, if we can remember how much he loves us and that all his ways are good, we can rest in the assurance of that. He knows everything, controls everything, and will one day make all things right. 

Give Yourself Reminders from Scripture

When it gets hard to release control of our lives to God, thankfully, we have reminders we can give ourselves from the Bible. We have access to all of the promises of God right in front of us. The Bible reminds us of how the Lord rescued his people over and over again and gave them all they were in need of. It also shows us how he has done what he said he would do, never once failing. The biggest reminder we have is that Jesus came to earth to die for us and be resurrected so we could live through him. That alone shows us the depth of love he has for us, and he went to such great lengths to be with us. It makes me want to release all of my life to him, because I can trust his love. Give yourself a reminder by reading your Bible daily, and even memorize verses. You will be so glad you did. 

Step Out in Faith

It can be so hard to trust what the Lord is doing in our lives. Fear can sometimes get in the way of trusting him, so we may choose not to do anything at all. He doesn’t want us to do nothing at all, but sometimes trusting him means stepping out into the unknown so he can meet us there. I know when I have stepped out in faith, it has been scary, but it has been so worth it. It increases my faith because I have seen what the Lord has done once I do step out. This doesn’t mean doing irrational things or making bad decisions, but stepping out may require us to risk something. The risk will be worth it, though, because of what the Lord will do. 

Stepping out in faith is also our way of showing the Lord that we want it to be his way, and no our own. We don’t know what will happen when we take that step, but we trust that he will take care of all that we need. In my experience, this has been an exciting way to live. We never know what the Lord will do, and he goes above and beyond anything that we can imagine. I am so grateful for the adventure that my life has been since I took a step of faith and started following him. Life has not always gone how I think it will, but he has always been faithful. 

Remember How God Has Come Through in the Past

We can be so forgetful as people who follow a God who tells us that he is always faithful, as it says many places in the Bible. We experience his faithfulness firsthand, being in a relationship with him, but a short while later, we forget and go back to our doubtful selves, wondering if God will provide again. If only we would take a step back for a moment and think back to those times when he has provided. Remembering specific times he has been faithful helps us believe the truth about him. I know in my own life that if I think back to when the Lord has been faithful, my anxious soul is filled with peace. He provides for me every time I am in need. The way he provides is always better than I would have planned it. It makes it a lot easier to trust him, and the fact that his ways are better than mine. 

Our lives would be much easier if we let go of the desire to be in control. In my own life, I have made a mess in different areas when I have insisted on my own way. It should not surprise me that I am not able to handle all the control I want to have. I fall short every single time. None of us will ever take the place of the Lord in our own lives. 

This is why it is so important to acknowledge that his ways will always be better. I’ve often imagined the Lord with his arms lovingly wrapped around me, holding me. The problem is that I am thrashing back and forth wildly, trying to be in control. The longer I struggle, the more tired I get, and eventually I surrender to his loving embrace. This is what it is like for us when we try so hard to have our own way. It may work well a couple of times, but eventually, we realize we don’t know it all. After fighting for what we want, we become tired and weary, and we have to release control because his way is better. I pray that each one of us will choose not to wrestle with the Lord for control, and we will release our plans over to him because we know that his ways are better.

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Brendan Church 

Becky Weber is a wife, and mom to 4 kids. She loves to write and speak. She is a pastor’s wife in Sioux Falls, SD where her husband Adam is the lead pastor of Embrace Church. Her passion is to encourage others (especially women) to learn how to walk with Jesus on a daily basis. You can find more writing over at www.becweber.com and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.