Let Go & Trust God
By Karen D’Amore
“Trust in the
Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NVJV)
A friend was struggling with a major
decision that she’d made in quitting her job. And then her supervisor’s unexpected
response drew her to second-guess that decision even more. Becoming a basket case
of conflicting emotions, she reached out to me for counsel. After frequent
phone calls and much prayer, we met for dinner to talk further.
As I shared encouraging tales of
God’s faithfulness, my strongest counsel was for her to truly let go and trust
God! I shared further with her that I was currently walking through my own circumstances
of “letting go.” I had recently become licensed
as a cosmetology instructor with the hope of teaching part-time. Logic would
have me submit my resume to the technical college where I’d completed my
student teaching hours. While this was the only program I was interested in
teaching in, I didn’t feel God calling me to apply. My choice to let go…pray…wait…and trust God…stemmed
from previous personal faith-building scenarios. Ones where I had definitely experienced
the power of God’s glory in the letting go process!
As we concluded our dinner, I
exhorted my friend to resist making any further emotional or logic-based
decisions in her situation and instead “let go” and trust God with the outcome.
Thirty minutes after we parted, I received a call from the technical college
where I’d completed my student-teaching hours. Being familiar with me from my
student-teaching sessions, they wanted to offer me a part-time instructor’s
position within the cosmetology department. Once again, I experienced the faith-building
results in the process of letting go and trusting God. Wow! To God be the
glory! And, of course, I immediately called my friend to share the exciting and
encouraging news!
Scripture repeatedly exhorts us to
“trust God.” Merriam-Webster defines the word “trust” as one in which
confidence is placed.[1] When we choose to let go of self-will,
personal confidence, worldly logic, and selfish desires…and live in God-surrendered
trust…we will experience God’s power in the letting go process, and see Him
glorified in the outcome. Our daily circumstances are perpetual platforms and
opportunities for God to be glorified through our submission. John 3:30 says,
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
Letting go and trusting God for the
outcome requires us to decrease and be emptied of ourselves. It is through this letting go process that He
then increases and is glorified in all that HE does!
GOING
DEEPER:
1. What do you need to…let go?
FURTHER
READING:
Married to Dan, Karen, a retired
police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and as an
instructor in the Cosmetology Department at WCTC. Karen also serves on the
Welcoming Team at Oakwood.
[1] www.merriam-webster.com
