How to Trust God When You Don’t Feel Like It, July 20
Written by Niki Hardy
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).
The house opposite us is being demolished today. There’s a bulldozer out front tearing it apart, raising its mighty claw into the air, and simply smashing its way through what was once someone’s family home. Hearing we have cancer can feel like a bulldozer has turned into our driveway without any warning and simply started knocking down our home. When the cancer bulldozer starts smashing into our lives, it’s not just our health that starts to crumble. Our trust in God may not escape unscathed.
When I was diagnosed just six weeks after my sister lost her battle with cancer, I wanted to trust God. I knew trusting Him would help me find the peace, comfort, and strength I was desperate for. But at the same time, it was just so ridiculously hard. Maybe you’ve hit that place, too. You want to trust God, but you find yourself clinging to what you can see and touch rather than a God you can’t.
Trusting God is a choice we make daily as we meet the world head-on. Over time, I discovered that I simply needed to be willing to make that choice. Willingness is hope, trust, and faith all bundled into a tentative yes—and it’s where I began. It’s where you can start, too. And, thankfully, when we trust God, it’s actually not about us and what we can do, but about Him and what He can do.
These four steps have helped me trust God even when all I had was a small smidge of willingness. I pray they will help you, too.
1) CHECK God’s Credentials. Examine God’s faithfulness in times of trouble by reading Bible stories as well as biographies of great people of faith. Ask your friends who seem to have superhuman levels of trust in God—why do they trust Him? As you do, I pray you see God’s faithfulness.
2) ASK for His Help. Come with the faith you have and ask for more. I can assure you God is delighted to send his Holy Spirit to help us. We need only ask.
3) LET GO and HOLD ON. Holding onto God and letting go are like one seamless motion because we can’t hold onto God if we’re clinging to something else instead. What do you need to let go of in order to fully grab hold of God? Fear, worry, control, unforgiveness, your own strength, or grief? Something else? Imagine laying it down and picking up the promises of God instead.
4) KEEP a Record. Every time we see God’s faithfulness in our lives in both big and small ways, make a note of it. Create your own record of how God has shown up for you so in those moments you feel your trust muscles flagging, you can cling to proof of His faithfulness.
So, are you willing to be willing? Willing to let go of all you’ve been clinging to and hold onto the One who will never let you go?
Pray: Lord, thank You for the ways You have already shown me that You are trustworthy. I rest in the strength of Your love that will never fail. By Your Holy Spirit, help me to let go of my own control and hold onto You. I believe You are who You say You are. Amen.
Your Turn: Think of your loudest worry, the thing that’s kept you up at night. Write that thing on a piece of paper. Then, take that paper and place it somewhere that to you means it’s in God’s hands. Tell Him, “Lord, I give this to you. I can’t hold onto it any longer; I trust You and let go of control. Help me walk away. Amen.”
Niki Hardy, Family Member and Cancer Survivor
Niki is a British author, speaker, podcast host, and cancer thriver. Through her books Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart and One Minute Prayers for Women with Cancer, and her free Trusting God Through Cancer Summit and Chemo Chair Prayers podcast, she helps people discover that life doesn’t have to be pain-free to be full, then to go live it. Download her FREE book bundle or find other resources at nikihardy.com.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
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