Have you ever felt like you trust God… but deep down you’re panicking? Sometimes we say we trust God… but we’re making a thousand backup plans just in case. We pray, but then prepare for the worst. Not because we lack faith, but because we’re scared. And that fear doesn’t make you less of a Christian. It makes you human. And at the same time, it reminds us of our fragility, and our deep need for God.
We say we trust, but…
We say, “God is in control.” And we believe it… or at least we want to believe it. But as soon as things start to fall apart, our minds begin to race: What if they let me down again? What if things never get better? What if I have to carry this for the rest of my life? What if I try so hard… and it still does not work? What if I have to face this alone? What if I am doing everything wrong? What if God does not act? What if this changes me forever?
And without even realizing it, we begin to plan out of fear. We make lists, imagine different scenarios, rehearse conversations, and think of everything that could go wrong so we can come up with ways to prevent it.
I do not mean that planning is wrong. But when our plans come from panic, from a place where God no longer feels like enough, we drain ourselves and often end up hurting ourselves. All because we are trying to control what we cannot control: the health of someone we love, a conversation we had months ago, the restoration of a relationship, or a future we cannot see. And the harder we try to hold the world together with our own hands, the more it slips through our fingers.
Sometimes we even try to take control of other people’s lives because we say we “want what is best for them,” even when they may not want our help or what we are convinced would be best for their lives.
But God did not call you to be anyone’s savior, to protect everything, to have everything figured out, or to solve everyone else’s problems. God called you to trust Him and rest in Him.
Sometimes faith also means recognizing when we have already done our part and being able to say, “I’ve done my part. The rest, I leave in His hands.”
“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
—1 Peter 5:7
Peter’s faith
Even Peter walked on water when he kept his eyes on Jesus. But the moment he looked at the wind, he began to sink. Not because his faith was fake, but because he took his eyes off the only one who could hold him.
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”
—Matthew 14:30
And what did Jesus do? It says He immediately reached out His hand.
Jesus doesn’t let go
That same Jesus hasn’t changed. When you’re sinking in anxiety, when your mind races with “what ifs”… He doesn’t walk away. He looks at you with compassion and reaches out His hand again, just like He did with Peter.
“Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him…”
—Matthew 14:31
You don’t need to try harder. Just look up.
When peace slips away and fear takes over, you do not need to try harder. No one overcomes by their own strength. You just need to look to Jesus again, because He is reaching out His hand to you, and He will not let you go. He is close to you, and He knows you are struggling.
For the one who hasn’t trusted Him yet
Maybe you do not have that relationship with Jesus because you feel the need to have everything under control. But you can start today. He does not expect you to come to Him with perfect faith. He simply wants you to come just as you are, with your doubts, your burdens, and your desire to trust Him, even if your knees are trembling.
Talk to Him. Say, “Lord, save me.” And just as He did with Peter, He will not delay.
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