Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.”
After my brain injury, I constantly tried to create some sort of new career for myself. I had been unable to work for quite sometime. My family and friends watched me start and stop one thing after the other. I wasn’t well enough to work, but I understood that I needed to pay my bills. Besides, I had been on TV and radio, and interviewed by top-tier media. I was “somebody.” I couldn’t simply let all of that go, could I?
Thankfully, God understood something even greater than bills, career and prestige. He understood I needed to go through my healing process. I needed to humble myself before him and I very much needed to learn trust him, in all things. I had to learn to lean on him, not on what I thought I “understood.”
We are told to acknowledge God in all ways. This means that we are to acknowledge him in every aspect of our lives. We are not just to lean on him in hard times, or when we are at church, or when we are praying. We are to lean on him, to let him direct our paths in all areas of our lives. We are asked to ditch our reliance on what we think we understand, which is usually based on our pride, fears and resentments. When we let our egos run our lives, we keep God’s greatness from our lives.
I allowed my fears and my ego to drive my life when I was healing. It took me awhile to turn away from my fears and self-will and acknowledge God in all ways. Thankfully, God was and is patient with me. (My spiritual growth is about progress, not perfection.) When I leaned on God, instead of my own understanding, my life became fuller and richer than it had ever been at any time in my life. I was able to let go of my insecurities that surfaced from my ego. I no longer needed to grasp for the “spotlight” of my past career. What I thought I understood about my life and my needs was almost totally incorrect. God knew that what made my life whole, full, and deeply fulfilling was the work He put in front of me, the work He chose for me. My obedience to His call gave me more purpose and passion than any interview with the New York Times, or CNN could ever give me!
Are you willing to stop leaning on your own understanding and acknowledge Him in all ways and allow him to direct your path? You will be amazed at what happens next. I can promise that God’s path will be far more than you could have created for yourself. God knows us better than ourselves. He knows what is truly best for us. Trust Him.
