Do You Trust God? Or Do You Trust Yourself More?

Molly has been living in the same city for a few years. She has a good job, great friends, and a wonderful church. But then God asks her to move to a new state where she doesn’t know anyone, doesn’t have a church, and doesn’t have a job yet. After praying, seeking godly wisdom from Scripture and godly friends, she does what the Lord asked. She didn’t question but trusted His leading, packed up her bags, and took a huge step of faith.

Abby is a young Christian woman finding her way in life. She’s been doing all the right things but seems to take a step back for every two she steps forward into God’s plan. She keeps ending up at the same place in life, because of het fear of making a wrong decision, she ends up making no decision at all. She’s never able to make a confident decision because she keeps coming back to the same questions: Is God really good? Can I really trust His leading- what if I’m hearing Him wrong?

Kaiya has been at the same job for a few years and is fairly content with it too but out of the blue comes the prospect of a new job. She wonders whether this is God’s will or if it’s Satan’s way of making her discontent with life’s circumstances? After evaluating the job and her motives for taking, along with seeking the advice of her husband and friends, she realizes this job would serve His kingdom and bring Him more glory. So Kaiya takes the new job and takes a huge leap of faith into the unknown.

Some Christians seem to make decisions fairly quickly with ease, not questioning too much, while others take forever to decide which way to go, changing their minds a few times and afraid they’ve made the wrong choice. Some seem steady, confident and consistent while others live in fear, worry, without peace.The difference between these women comes down to one thing: Their faith in God.

One woman trusts in God. One trusts herself.

The Woman Who Trusts God

Has Faith
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Jas.1:2-3

The woman who trusts God during life’s trials and decisions has faith. She believes God’s goodness and trusts that His commands will lead her down the right path. (Ps.25:10) Part of the reason God sends us trials and decisions is to test our faith. He wants to see if we’ll trust Him, if we’ll trust what His word says for us to do.

Everyone in the “Hall of Faith” (Heb. 11) is exemplified because they obeyed God’s leading in their life, even when they didn’t know where they were going. When God told them to do something, they didn’t second-guess everything, ask endless questions, or try to make deals with God. They had FAITH so they were obedient.

Decisions aren’t something to be afraid of, but something to embrace because it’s an opportunity to grow stronger in faith. It’s an invitation to grow closer in a relationship with Jesus.

Is Mature
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Jas.1:4

When we trust Him – when we pass the “faith test” – then we develop spiritual maturity. When we trust our perfect God, then we become complete and perfect in Him. We lack for nothing because we have faith in Christ. You don’t constantly ask if you’re doing the right thing, or if you’re making the right choice, because you’re becoming wiser and more complete in Christ. You’ve put your faith in Him and He’s perfecting you.

Is Wise
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Jas.1:5

God desires to give us His wisdom and give it abundantly! But, we must first qualify for it. We must show that we trust Him with every part of our life. A woman who trusts God makes wise decisions because she’s been given wisdom from God and she listens to His instruction. (Prov.31:26,30).

Have you ever noticed that the most spiritual women you’ve met never seem to battle about what to do with their lives and the decisions they face? They evaluate if the choice would bring God glory, if it would bring them closer to Him, and if the decision lines up with God’s Word. Then they make the decision. There’s no worrying, crying, or fear because, whatever decision they make, they know God will direct their path. They’ve trusted God and He’s given them wisdom, through His Word, to make wise choices for their lives.

The Woman Who Trusts Herself:

Is Doubtful
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. Jas.1:6

The exact opposite of faith is doubt. The woman who doubts what the Lord says is a woman who doesn’t have faith. She’s constantly questioning whether what God says is true or really for her best. She refuses to trust God and experience His goodness in her life. Look at what happened when Eve began doubting God: She began to doubt His goodness, His wisdom, and His commands and started to think she knew best. That was the moment the whole world changed – for the worse.

The woman who doubts has a faith that is easily tossed around, can be easily torn apart by Satan’s lies, and can be easily destroyed. Doubt leads to fear which then leads to spiritual and emotional paralysis. The woman who doesn’t trust the Lord will never grow, will constantly be afraid, and get stuck in the same spiritual and emotional place.

Is Unwise
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; Jas.1:7

Faith is what allows you to apply wisdom so if you don’t have faith then you don’t get wisdom. It’s as simple as that. Since this woman doubts the Lord’s goodness, His faithfulness, His wisdom, and His Word, she cannot be wise. She questions everything that is wise from the Lord. She questions the advice of godly people around her. (Prov.8:3 10:17) She leans on her own understanding which leads her on a path towards destruction. (Prov.3:5-6) She becomes the fool that Proverbs constantly talks about because she lacks wisdom.

The unwise woman has to question if she should go to church because she’ll see her ex boyfriend and she just doesn’t have a good “feeling” about it. She puts aside the wisdom of God’s word that says it’s ALWAYS a good idea to go to church, ex-boyfriend or no ex-boyfriend, because of how she “feels.” If you don’t trust God then you don’t have wisdom and without wisdom you can’t make good decisions for your life.

Is Unstable

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Jas. 1:8

You never know what she’s going to do because she’s not steady in her faith in the Lord. She trusts her emotions over God’s wisdom and relies on “feelings” to make decisions. If you “follow your heart” it will deceive you and lead you astray. (Jer.17:9) Feelings are not always in line with Scripture and they can change each minute which means your mind will change every time your emotions do. When you don’t trust the Lord with your life or trust His Word then there will be panic and indecisiveness with each decision. With panic comes erratic emotions that can lead to instability and inconsistency.

The woman who trusts herself and doubts God is guaranteed to be on a spiritual roller coaster until she entrusts her future to the Lord.

So which woman are you? Do you trust God’s Wisdom, His direction for your life? Or do you doubt Him at every step, with every word He says? Do you trust God? Or Do you trust yourself?