Trusting God can be hard sometimes, even though we know He commands us to. On a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast, I chatted with Kristine Brown about learning to trust God with our decisions. If you missed that episode, you can listen here – Learning to Trust God with Our Decisions – Episode 186. In fact, I encourage you to go back and listen. In this post, Kristine Brown is sharing 3 ways she became more confident as a decision-maker by strengthening her trust in God.

Be sure to read to the end for a book giveaway!

(If there are affiliate links in this post, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you)).

3 Ways to Trust God with Decision Making (and Mean It)
by Kristine Brown

I’ve heard these two words many times, “Trust God.”

I’ve seen them plastered on social media, listened to ministers preach about them in sermons, and even shared them as advice to friends. Don’t know what to do? Just trust God. Have a life-changing decision to make? Trust God. Going through the most difficult time of your life? That’s okay, trust God. I knew this was the solution to my daily battle with worry and doubt, but there was one small problem.

I didn’t know how to trust God.

Sure, I could say I trusted Him. I read my Bible reading plan and could even quote a verse or two. But when decisions had to be made or the really hard stuff hit like a wave, my life didn’t show it. Which brought up an important question that would change how I defined those two familiar words I’d heard so often.

How do I learn to trust God like I mean it?

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold without wavering to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (ESV) When we learn to cinch our hope to our faithful God, we build a strong foundation for trusting Him with the details of our lives. And with that foundation in place, we can live with steadfast assurance that God is guiding us through every decision. Even if circumstances look shaky.

Our ability to become more confident decision-makers begins with strengthening our trust in the One who created us, cares about us, and delights in us. Here are a few practical ways we can begin trusting God with our decisions.

1. Daily release control to God.

For most of my adult life, I’ve had a hard time making decisions. I’ve overanalyzed then moved on to worrying about the worst-case scenario. Even the smallest choices— like whether to sign up my child for little league— affected my contentment. I longed to make decisions while living with the peace and joy God promised. But how?

In our podcast conversation on Your Hope-Filled Perspective, Dr. Michelle and I talked about how we often hear the advice, “just give it to God.” We know that’s what God invites us to do, but many times we say we are giving our problem to Him, only to take it right back. I’ve found it helpful to pray, “Lord, I give it to you,” anytime I feel worry working its way into my heart. Beginning each day with this short prayer helps me develop a habit of relinquishing control.

“Moving to a new level of trust is not a one-time big decision but a continued daily commitment to release control and let the Holy Spirit guide us.” – Cinched book

When we tell God we trust Him with the process and the outcome of our decisions, the words “give it to God” become more than just a cliche. They become life-giving truth to sustain us through the hardest decisions.

2. Create some quiet space.

So many times I’ve asked God for direction, only to continue fretting about what to do. I fill my mind with all the possible paths, leaving no quiet space to hear God speak. Creating quiet doesn’t only mean eliminating physical noise, but also dealing with those thoughts that just won’t stop.

When analyzing our situation leads to an overloaded mind, what’s the best way to create the quiet space we need to connect with God? There is no right or wrong way, and finding your personal quiet space may involve exploring different ideas. But the key is to keep redirecting our focus back to our Heavenly Father. Not with what we have to say, but simply to seek Him more.

My favorite way to create some quiet space is to take a prayer walk. I begin with this short prayer, “Lord, I’m listening.” Then I focus on the sounds of nature. When my mind drifts back to decisions that must be made, I repeat the prayer again. Guarding against distraction makes room for connecting with our Lord.

3. Find assurance in God’s faithfulness.

When a tough decision must be made and I feel a weight of responsibility, doubt comes calling. I can stand firm against any doubt by reminding myself of the times God has been faithful in my life.

Ever wonder why it’s so easy to focus on life’s challenges? Since identifying my own need to trust God more, I’ve realized how much time I spent thinking about my troubles rather than God’s presence. So to encourage myself through whatever challenge I face, I like to keep a memory journal.

A journal is a great place to record memories of the past— when God revealed His goodness in remarkable ways. Times when we didn’t think there could possibly be a way out, but God demonstrated the truth of Matthew 19:26, “…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (NIV)

Some call it a “gratitude journal” or a “prayer journal.” Nothing fancy needed to begin; a simple dollar store find will do. The purpose is to have a place to write down our blessings. We may not be sure how things will turn out, but we can have assurance in God’s faithfulness by remembering what He has done.

If you’re feeling that familiar weight of worry and doubt over decisions right now, know this. God is ready for you to give it to Him and trust Him to handle it. His Holy Spirit will guide you as you make the daily choice to focus on His presence rather than the outcome of your decision.

And the next time we hear those two familiar words, “Trust God,” may we find renewed peace and joy as we trust Him like we mean it.

We’d love to hear what helps you trust God, in the comments below!

 

 

About Kristine Brown

Kristine Brown is a ministry wife, mom, stepmom, and Mimi. A former chronic worrier, Kristine loves connecting women today with women of the Bible and sharing lessons learned through her website, freelance writing, and speaking to women’s groups. She is the author of 3 books, including her latest release, Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God. To connect with Kristine, visit kristinebrown.net.

To connect with Kristine: Website / Facebook / Instagram

 

Book Giveaway

In conjunction with this post and the podcast interview, Kristine is giving away a free copy of her book, Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God.

Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you learned about trusting God with your decision making and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of her book.

You could also share this blog post on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, November 14, 2022. Continental United States only.