Planning and Trust

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. —Proverbs 21:31

“Trust the Lord.” Christians often say this to each other and to nonbelievers, and they are right to do so. God asks us to trust Him, because He is the only one with ultimate control over our lives and because He loves us so much. However, some Christians believe that trust means you should not plan or prepare for the circumstances that arise in daily life. This is incorrect and can be dangerous if taken too far. God does want us to give Him control, but He also gave us minds capable of anticipating what is coming and planning accordingly. If you know a performance review is approaching, you should do your best work and prepare intelligent questions for your supervisor. If you want to move out of your parents’ house, start saving money early. Of course, there are many circumstances where we don’t have any control or influence. This is where true trust in God kicks in. When you’ve studied as much as you can for a test, it is up to God to provide calmness of spirit and accurate recall. If you’ve searched for a new job for weeks or months with no success, turn to prayer and relinquish your job to God. The important thing is to strike a balance between expecting God to do what you can do yourself and planning realistically. It can take time to find this balance, so pray about it and seek help from accountability partners. God will reward your trust and guide you through His plans.