One of the hardest things to do in life is to have faith when your mind wants to worry. For me, I think about all the passions and desires I’ve had in life, the ones that I believe honor God. I’ve had seasons where I felt really encouraged toward them, and seasons where they felt like impossible dreams. Many of them I have still not reached, and it can be disheartening. Can you relate?

In these moments, I find myself often trying more and more to plan and control things by my own power. I seek to ask people for help and support. I turn to the internet. I try to push things where I want them to go. The more I try this, the more frustrated I get as things don’t work out the way I want them to.

The bible encourages us not to fret about such things, and in fact to “let go and let God”. But how? How do we trust in him when things feel hopeless? How do we let go of this fear, anxiety, and frustration, and surrender them all to him? How do we live out the teachings of Jesus? Of all the verses that talk about trust, there’s one that stands out to me in particular.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

At first glance, this can feel like just another “just do it” statement, without much guidance how. If that’s where you’re at, I don’t blame you. But if we look a little closer, I think we’ll find God is showing us how to trust him.

So how do we “trust in the Lord with all our heart?” The first step in this passage comes next. “Lean not on your own understanding.” The first step means don’t just take things at face value. Whatever you see, don’t assume that’s all there is. I think the words “lean not” give us a good picture here. We shouldn’t be pushing and forcing our goals. Our natural instinct is to take matters into our own hands, but God tells us not to do that. I know this step isn’t easy, I struggle with it every day. The first step is not an action, but an inaction. Do nothing. Rest. Trust God.

The second step in this passage is to “submit to him”. What does that mean? It simply means we recognize God as our sovereign ruler. He is our leader, our king, our father. He has authority over us, and we respect that. Spend time in God’s word and among his believers so that you can recognize his voice. If you feel him calling you somewhere, go there. This leads into our third step.

“He will make straight your paths.” That doesn’t sound like a step for us, does it? I’d suggest it is though. Pay close attention to the word used. “Paths”. This is what I believe is the linchpin of this verse. If you see a path leading into the woods, and you believe in your heart it leads to good places, but you don’t follow it, you’ll never get there. On the other hand if the path scares you, but you follow it anyway, you’ll eventually find the beautiful destination. That doesn’t mean the path is always easy, or that you won’t stumble. But if you persist in following it, you’ll love where you end up. It is the same with God.

If you struggle to trust God, know that you’re not alone. Even three years into surrendering my whole life to Jesus, I still struggle to trust him. Even the apostles struggled with complete faith, before they saw the fruit of it. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling worries and fears. Don’t let frustration rule you when those fears don’t seem to go away. Follow the path God has laid before you. It will likely feel as if the path is leading you away from what you want, or at least not leading you toward it. But I firmly believe if you follow the path of God, you will find a far greater, more amazing destination than you could have ever dreamed.
Father God, thank you for the person reading this. I know worry and fear seek a hold in their heart. Please guide them toward you, show them the path you have laid before them. Encourage them with each step, and help them to know that you are Lord, and you are good. In Jesus’s name, Amen.