Standing on the Promises

I get so fearful sometimes. Overcome by worry. Anxiety gets the best of me. I forget that I can’t carry the weight of the world and that most of the things I am dealing with in this life are completely out of my control. I want to control things and feel like I have a say in the way circumstances play out, but oftentimes, I don’t. I want to be able to predict what the future is going to look like and then simply follow the proper steps to get there. I want some certainty in a very messy and uncertain life. If I’m being really honest, I want to control the choices that others around me make to ensure I don’t get hurt and that everything goes as planned, but people are human and make mistakes. I am human and am constantly screwing up. I’m constantly veering off course and having to re-gage my expectations, my plans.

We see so many messages in social media contexts about taking control over our lives and hustling for what we want, and while I agree that we need to have a work ethic and take steps towards our goals, I also believe we need to surrender. We need to accept that life is messy and complicated. We need to understand that we can’t control people or situations. We CAN control our expectations and how we respond to the circumstances we’ve been given, and we can trust in the one who holds us in His hands. We can choose to stand on the promises of God.

What does it mean to stand on the promises of God? What does He promise? He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He promises peace in the waiting (Philippians 4:7). He promises He has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11). When I get overcome by the struggles that life naturally brings, I hold these promises close to my heart and I remember that God has always been faithful. In a visit recently with my counselor, he reminded me of the story of Peter walking on water. He asked me when Peter started to sink. I quickly recalled the fact that Peter started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus. When we stand on the promises of God, and we fix our eyes on Him, the things of this world just can’t win.

Praying you are brave in Jesus. Praying you can stand on His promises in faith.