I awoke with a pounding headache, no doubt from worrying about how to fix the situation. So many times in the past week I prayed and “gave it to God.” I’d used that phrase more times than I could count. “Giving it to God” seemed like a great idea, but it didn’t change the worry I felt as I faced another day with the same problem. I struggled with sitting back and doing nothing, hoping it would all be okay. What if it didn’t turn out okay? And why couldn’t I just let God handle this?
Trusting God to handle things is hard for those of us who are wired for work. We’re the ones people can count on to get things done, to find a solution when no one else can. Although we love the idea of “casting all our cares” upon the Lord and letting go, deep down we know that letting go makes us feel vulnerable. Like we’re not in control.
Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (NIV). I know God’s plan is better than mine. I also know firsthand that my interference can delay His plan’s fulfillment. So how do I resist helping God? How do I wait well when I want to do something?
God’s Word offers the guidance we need when we’re tempted to intervene. Let’s look at ways to resist helping and let God handle it. We may want to hold onto control, but His sovereign hand can accomplish more than anything we’re able to do in our own strength. By fully releasing control, we will discover God’s faithfulness and peace like never before.
1. Pay Attention to God’s Presence
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
One of the hardest things we can experience is watching someone we love struggle and feeling powerless. We see their hurt and would do anything in our power to make the pain go away. When I’ve tried and tried to solve a problem— whether for myself or someone I love— my efforts end up fruitless. I’ve been known to refocus those efforts toward another “project” in hopes of finding the satisfaction I seek. I need something to fill the void in my heart, so I try to stay busy.
I’ll turn my attention elsewhere by signing up for another committee. Joining another group. Volunteering for one more worthy cause. I busy myself with good things because I need to believe that what I’m doing actually makes a difference. I may not realize the void can’t be satisfied by anything involving my own strength.
Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Instead of refocusing my attention on doing more, true fulfillment will come as I pay attention to the presence of God. Trusting Him when we want to step in can be a challenge, but it begins with allowing His presence to be enough. God promises to fill our emptiness with the joy that can be found in Him alone.
2. Know That the Morning Is Coming
“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” (Hosea 6:3 NLT)
Spring rains bring the promise of new growth and new life. In the heavily wooded neighborhood where we live, that means we will see bird’s nests, squirrel nests, and rabbit burrows in our backyard. I remember discovering a burrow of baby bunnies and delighting in those soft balls of fluff buried in the shallow ground. But my delight turned to dread when I realized a fierce storm was headed right toward us.
I took charge, convinced those bunnies needed my help or they wouldn’t survive. I searched websites for information on what to do, only to realize this was yet another situation where I couldn’t help. Expert advice warned me to leave the burrow alone and allow the mother to do her job. Trying to do something would only make matters worse, so I had to resist. I took a deep breath and trusted the storm to pass. Sure enough, the rabbits fared just fine without my interference.
The certainty expressed by the prophet Hosea gives us hope for those times when we’ve prayed but haven’t heard God respond. Spring rains will come, and so will the dawn. We can count on it. And how comforting to know we can rely on God to respond to us just as surely as the sun will rise! Whatever storms we’re facing, we can be certain that God will answer.
3. Keep Trusting in the Waiting
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (Psalm 130:5 NIV)
In the 130th Psalm, King David waited for the redemption he knew would come with the promise of dawn. “I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning” (Psalm 130:6). Waiting can make the nights seem endless, leading us to doubt whether God is working on our behalf. But David demonstrated how to cling to God’s truth. His promises will give us strength in the waiting.
The Bible is filled with stories of how God worked through times of waiting. Abraham and Sarah waited for their promised child. Jacob waited 14 years to marry Rachel. Rahab waited inside her home for the Israelite spies to fulfill their promise and rescue her and her family. Each of these stories of waiting led to miracles of God’s goodness that impact our lives today. God knew our human struggle with waiting, so He provided inspiration and hope for times when waiting on an answer leads to doubt.
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) offers encouragement for waiting well, “...but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” The New Living Translation puts it this way, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength…” By waiting well, we demonstrate trust in God to provide.
Maybe you are in a time of waiting right now, and God is calling you to a deeper place of trust. Or maybe you’ve been busying yourself with all the things to keep from agonizing over your situation. Wherever you are, know that God has this. Focus on the truth that He is right there with you and will send new peace to help you resist the urge to intervene. And when you say these words, “I’m giving this to God,” you can trust that He hears.
Let’s remember 1 Peter 5:7 the next time we long to let God handle it: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (NLT) May you feel an outpouring of His peace and power as you resist helping and let Him have whatever problem you’re facing today.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Ridofranz
For more spiritual growth resources, check out the 5-day email devotional, How to Be Free from Bitterness, by today’s devotion writer, Kristine Brown. Learn more about women in the Bible and find encouragement to help you “become more than yourself through God’s Word” at Kristine’s website, morethanyourself.com.