Day 3 - Relinquish the Results
A Weightless Devotional
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:5, ESV)
God not only wants you to commit your works to Him, but also your way. Your way isn’t just the path you walk, or the direction of your life, it’s the journey itself, including the destination, or better yet, the way is the outcome. When you think the outcome is up to you, you carry the burden of getting what you want. This makes anxiety the fuel for the trip. But, Psalm 37:5 gives us a more powerful energy source for the journey: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” When we trust God with the outcome, not only will he act, but freedom and peace will be the new normal.
When you think the outcome is up to you, you carry the burden of getting what you want.
Anxiety is as debilitating to your journey as a GPS with no signal. But when you trust God with the path ahead and the destination, the burden of worry is lifted. All that is left for you is a conscious resting in Him to determine the results. You don’t need to know the way or to drive the car; you just need to know the way maker and to take your hands off the wheel.
A story is often told of a traveler carrying a heavy backpack. As the traveler trudges along a dusty road, a wagon comes by, and the driver offers him a ride. Gratefully, the traveler climbs onto the wagon, but he keeps the heavy pack on his back, needlessly bearing the weight of it himself, even though the wagon is already supporting them both. In the same way, how many times do you commit your way to the Lord, then continue to carry your burdens as if they are still yours to bear? You assent to give Him your burdens, but then you anxiously try to manage them yourself, as though you don’t trust Him to handle them for you.
It’s one thing to say you’ve given God your burdens. It’s another to relinquish the results. Committing your way to the Lord means relinquishing your plans, desires, and long-term goals, and trusting that He will lead you and work things out according to His perfect will—a will that may not look like yours, but is always necessary and always best.
When you hold onto your plans tightly, worrying about the outcome, you start to feel like the success of the journey lies solely on your shoulders, when in reality, God is already carrying you and making a way for your destination. You don’t need to bear the weight of your burdens when He is already bearing it.
But committing your way to the Lord doesn’t end with surrender. The next step is to rest in Him, knowing, as the Bible says, that “He will act.” That means the burden isn’t on you; it’s on Him, and since He is carrying your burden, you don't have to bear it as well. Resting in the Lord means that you agree to trust in His timing, His methods, and His outcomes. It means having the faith that He will act on your behalf and bring about His perfect will for your life, and then wanting that will more than you want your own.
But if you find your faith wavering, take heart. Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, is here to help. Just like the disciples did, you can ask Him to increase your faith. Remember, it is not about the size of your faith but the strength of the One in whom you place it. He is faithful, and He will carry you through every worry and care. Trust Him with your way, rest in His promises, and experience the peace that surpasses all understanding.
When you commit your way to the Lord, you start to experience a profound sense of peace and freedom; your confidence shifting from your limited abilities to His limitless sovereign power. Remember, God is already shouldering you and your burdens. Do not be like the traveler who continues to fully support the weight of his burden while his burden is already fully supported. Instead, let go, rest in the Lord, and trust that He will act in accordance with His perfect will. He will never leave you nor forsake you, and His plans for you are good. Trust in His promises, rely on His strength, and experience the peace that comes from committing your way to Him.
Thoughts to Ponder
How would your worry be impacted by remembering that God’s in control of the outcome of whatever worries you?
Can you faithfully accept whatever outcome He deems best?
Do you believe that God’s plans for you are the best? If so, how does that impact the energy you put into your plans?