How Choosing to Trust God is the Best Way to Start the New Year
Stepping into the unknown is seldom comfortable. Yet, we do it every day.
But somehow life has a way of lulling us into a false sense of control. Maybe it’s those routines we love.
Those patterns we find ourselves repeating day after day.
Like this one…
I wake up, fix the kids lunch, wake them up, fix them breakfast, read a devotional at the breakfast table, shoo them off to get ready, check that they have everything they need, send them off, make coffee…you get the idea. I’ve built this little routine for myself that works quite well, thank you very much.
But what happens when my routine gets off track? If it’s one little thing it’s not so bad but when the whole thing gets derailed, I stumble.
Why? My sense of control has gone out the window.
Truth is, I never had control in the first place.
This little example is just a glimpse of the way I stumble in trusting God.
I like when things go the way I expect. I like being able to anticipate the outcome. And I love having a sense of control.
But God.
God knows that when I feel like I’m in control, He’s no longer in control.
See the problem there?
He knows I need to be reminded that He’s the one in charge and not me (yes, I have that tendency). But most importantly God wants me to trust Him. Trust Him in the everyday little things and trust Him with the big things like my future.
By now you might have figured out that this isn’t easy for me. But as I look back I can see where God has been faithful and trustworthy.
You see every year, there’s a word I ‘choose’ as my One Word for the year. This one word is meant to be my touchpoint to give me focus and clarity throughout the year. And every year I pray and ask God to show me the word that will guide me and draw me closer to Him. And He has never let me down.
Like that year when my One Word was ENOUGH and I struggled to come to grips with my father's death.
Or the time I committed to living life to the FULL but when I wasn't looking a deep emptiness crept in because the week-long search could not bring my brother back.
Or this year when I chose the word NEW and I found myself entering one painful new season after another.
I know you’re thinking ‘but I thought you said God didn’t let you down’.
He didn’t.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4
You see, in the darkness, I learned that God is more than ENOUGH when life falls down around me. Despite painful loss, I experienced life to the FULL – abundant and overflowing with comfort and a peace that passes all understanding. And in this NEW season, God is opening doors and renewing my purpose to empower women to live fully and purposefully in Him.
All of this reminds me that off-kilter morning routines have nothing on me. One child gets sick. The alarm doesn’t go off. Or God forbid, I run out of coffee! – it’s okay. In the big things or in the little things I have chosen to trust God one word at a time. And oh, what a trustworthy God He is.
If you want to find out more about how Marva chooses her One Word for the year, be sure to get your copy of her Spark Success Handbook - Goal Planning Made Simple. That's where she walks you through the steps for goal planning success based on Christian principles. It's a $15 value but for a limited time you get it FREE with the 2018 Spark Success Planner. Click the button below:
Marva Smith | SunSparkleShine.com
About Marva:
Marva is an island-living, sun-loving Christian wife, mother and wearer of many hats. Inspired by John
10:10 she encourages women to slow down and enjoy life to the full, brilliantly. You can find all the
latest sparkle on her blog SunSparkleShine as well as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. Get a
free copy of her e-book You Were Made to Sparkle when you sign up for her Sparklelights newsletter
here.
