How to Obey God When We Don't Know the Plan
I don't know about you, but I love a good plan. Whether I'm planning a vacation, my to-do list for the day, or a day out with my husband, I find joy in listing the activities, assignments, and agendas for that day. However, when I'm unable to know the plan or make one, I tend to get a bit stressed.
Growing up in a Christian home, I'm blessed that getting saved and believing in Jesus was always part of the plan. I know this isn't the case for many individuals growing up, and they must forge and find their own path to the Savior. Jesus is still calling them like He called me, but it looks different.
For me, however, my parents and grandparents prayed for me every day. Though it was my choice to accept Jesus, I'm thankful He was introduced in my life from an early age. Church, reading the Bible, and trusting the Lord were things I saw displayed daily.
After I got saved, I thought I'd always know what Jesus wanted me to do and when to do it. Somewhere along my path to faith, I'd misinterpreted one small but important part of the gospel: Being a Christian didn't mean I'd have it easy or never face trials. It also didn't mean I would never face fear. But it did mean that I would have Jesus in both tragedy and triumph, fear and courage.
Following the Lord when you know the next step is pretty easy. Like Jonah, we hear His call and then have a choice to obey or run away. But following the Lord when the steps before you look like question marks is a little more challenging. And might I even say anxiety-inducing? Following the Lord when the steps are being formed as you walk takes a radical faith and relentless trust. So how do we obey God when we don't know the plan?
Here are two practical steps:
1. We trust in what we do have.
2. We obey in the face of fear and unknowns.
1. Trust in What You Do Have
In Luke 1:26-29, we read these words: "In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be" (NIV). Notice, when the Angel of the Lord called Mary, verse 29 says she was "greatly troubled."
If Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was "greatly troubled" when she was called to bear the Son of God, then how was she able to carry on with this weighty task? Because she trusted in what she did have, not what she didn't.
As a young virgin girl, Mary wouldn't have much going for her at this time. Though she was engaged to Joseph, women had little to no power or value. Even more so, she now had to explain to her fiancé-to-be that she was pregnant, but not with his child. Imagine that conversation. The fact that God chose a teenager to bring His Son into the world still baffles me.
The beauty of this story is that while Mary faced many unknowns and may have been fearful, she counted what she did have as greater consolation than what she didn't. And what did she have? The promises of her ancestors and God's faithful favor.
God was well pleased with Mary even before she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Why else would God choose her and call her highly favored (verses 28-29)? God also told Mary that Jesus would be given the throne over David and Jacob's reign: "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:31-33). These were likely influential ancestors, warriors, and advocates Mary looked up to in her life. If God was faithful to them, He would surely be faithful to her as well.
Mary didn't know how this story would go. She says in verse 34: "How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). It's clear that even in Gabriel's answer, most of the steps in her near future would be unclear: "The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail'" (Luke 1:35-37, NIV).
While we get to read the end of the story, Mary lived it. She chose by faith to say, "I am the Lord’s servant.” Mary answered, “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:38, NIV). How? Because she clung to the presence and the promise of what she did have. We're encouraged to do the same.
2. Choose to Obey in the Face of Fearful Unknowns
In the face of fearful unknowns, Mary had no idea what awaited her future. What mom looks forward to giving birth in a dingy stable, running away from a king trying to kill you, and watching your son get crucified on a cross? If she knew the path before her, do you think she still would have said "Yes. May your word to me be fulfilled"? Would you?
In our lives, there are many times Jesus makes the path clear. He speaks to us in radical ways, and we know exactly where to go next. At other times, we feel quite the opposite. Life feels more like a bumpy road out in the desert, and His voice is nowhere to be found. Every tumbleweed that rolls by reminds us of lost opportunities and confusion.
My encouragement to you today is to choose obedience over fear. Choose obedience over the unknown. How? Lean into who God is amidst where you are. Remember His faithfulness not just to you but to your ancestors and family. But also remember that it's okay to acknowledge these fears before the Lord.
How do we do this practically?
1. Remember who God is regardless of where you are. Read and meditate on Scriptures like Isaiah 40:28 and Genesis 1:1 that remind you of God's character. Focus on the immutable qualities of His love, faithfulness, and grace.
2. Acknowledge your fears to God. In a journal or out loud in a prayer, express how you're really feeling. Tell Him your fears. Ask Him to help you follow wherever He leads, even in the face of fear.
3. Do it scared. Despite your surrender, it's normal to still be scared. But I'm confident that if God calls you to something, He won't leave you. That's not in His character. The best thing we can do is obey, even when we're fearful and don't know all the steps set before us.
A Call to Surrender
Before I quit my teaching job, I knew God was calling me to be obedient. Like Mary, I felt honored and chosen. But I also felt scared. I asked God, "How will this all work out?" dozens of times. And yet, at the end of the day, I knew I had to surrender. Not because I wasn't scared any longer, but because I trusted Him more than I trusted the fear.
If God has called you to something, but you're facing fear and unprecedented steps, please know you're not alone. It's scary to take God-steps in the unknown. But friend, God has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11), and He will direct every one of those steps (Proverbs 3:5-6). Not only does He promise to be with us (John 16:13), but His guidance is available to us through His Spirit and the power of His Word (Psalm 119:105).
God is sovereign over your life (Isaiah 30:21), and that includes the paths you know and the paths you don't. The paths you plan and the paths you don't. And the best news yet? He works everything together for your good and His glory because He's a faithful Father who gives us what we need to follow Him into committed and eternal obedience (Romans 8:28).
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Virojt Changyencham
Originally published March 12, 2025.
