It happened again…
Out of nowhere, your great plan was blown to smithereens.
You had your life in nearly perfect order and things were going great, but apparently God had different plans.
Life threw you a curve ball—and you’re left confused, frustrated, and anxious.
How do you keep your faith in God’s plan when everything’s seemingly crumbling around you?
I’ll be the first to admit it: it’s not easy.
Our initial reaction is to take control away from God. We try to pick up the pieces and reorder our life exactly how we had it before.
But by doing so, we enter a never-ending cycle of our plan being destroyed and us picking up the pieces.
Is there a way out of this cycle?
There is—by giving God complete control.
Over the last 9 months, God has shown me a few ways to do this. Hopefully, they will help you do the same. 🙂
1. Our definition of “good” often doesn’t align with God’s.
I’m one of those guys who’s almost always working, and the few hours of the day I’m not, I’m still thinking about work.
Obviously, you and I know that this isn’t healthy, but our culture praises such hard work.
The general definition of a “good” life is one with:
- Plenty of money
- A house in the suburbs
- A 40+ hour work week
These things aren’t bad at all in and of themselves but God doesn’t define good in things or in doing.
He defines “good” as being and becoming.
So in this context, having our well-thought-out plans dissolve into dust really isn’t a bad thing.
It’s simply the all-knowing God, who knows what’s best for you, straightening the path before you when your plan led to destruction.
It may not look like a straight path in the moment, but our perception of what a straight path actually looks like isn’t reality.
Our definition is based on:
- Culture
- Lies from Satan
- And selfish desires
His is based on truth.
2. God promises us hope and a future (and he hasn’t failed us yet).
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
God makes a lot of promises.
And unlike us, he actually keeps them.
Think about it…has God ever let you down?
Even when reflecting on a period of suffering, you how God used it for good.
You probably never would want to relive that time, but you’re glad it happened because of how it transformed you and deepened your faith.
God’s promises are the only thing you can truly hang your hat on.
3. Keeping an eternal mindset will set you free.
You know those times when you’re enjoying something so much or working towards a goal so hard that it seems like the only thing that matters?
In the moment, you’re so focused that nothing else crosses your mind.
Well, here’s the thing…
You and I often get so focused on what’s right in front of us that we lose our eternal perspective.
We hone in on worldly things—work, watching football, traveling, our wants and needs, whatever—and we completely miss the things that really matter.
So when you find yourself absorbed by these things, practice taking a step back.
Look at things from an eternal perspective and ask yourself:
- Where’s God in this situation?
- What am I being called to do?
- How can I glorify God here?
I’ve been shocked at how quickly God calms my anxiety when he calls me to take a step back and have an eternal perspective.
You Have to Make These Realizations on a Daily Basis
I don’t know about you, but I have to relearn this stuff every day.
It’s like I have short-term memory loss.
Trusting God is definitely a journey—it’s not a 10-step process.
Remind yourself daily that God is worthy of your trust and relinquish control.
Hunter Branch is a self-taught digital marketer who founded Rank Tree―an SEO agency that works with New York Times bestselling authors, brands, and startups to generate traffic and leads from Google. His blog is dedicated to helping you learn new skills, make yourself more valuable, trust God with your career, and build an online freelance business.