Letting Go of the Steering Wheel
When Control Becomes a Burden
We like plans. Calendars, goals, color-coded schedules. These all make us feel safe. Predictability, habits, and routine give us the illusion of control. But when life detours or delays, the weight of trying to keep everything together becomes too much. That’s where the invitation comes: letting go and trusting God.
Letting go isn’t the same as giving up. It’s about surrender. It’s choosing to believe that God can do more with your obedience than you can with your overplanning. And it’s one of the most powerful ways to live Fully Aligned In Trusting Him.
The Summer My GPS Didn’t Work—Literally and Spiritually
A few years ago, I set out on a solo road trip for some much-needed rest. I had the playlist queued, snacks packed, and GPS programmed. But two hours in, I lost signal. I pulled over in a rural town with no service and no idea how to get back on track.
I panicked. For thirty minutes, I sat in my car feeling paralyzed. Not just by the map situation, but by everything else I was carrying: career questions, family pressures, spiritual fatigue. I finally prayed out loud, “Lord, I’m tired of pretending I have it all figured out. Show me what to do.”
It wasn’t an immediate answer. But I remembered an old-school road atlas tucked under my seat. I found my route, took the next right, and slowly made my way forward. And I did it without the voice of a GPS, but with a renewed sense that I didn’t need perfect clarity to keep moving.
That trip taught me more about letting go and trusting God than any sermon. I began using a journal afterward to process my need to control and practice surrender in small ways each day.
Letting Go and Trusting God Is a Spiritual Discipline
One of the clearest examples of surrender is found in Proverbs 16:9:
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
We plan, yes. But we don’t control. God establishes. That’s not a loss. It’s a relief.
When we loosen our grip on outcomes, we’re not resigning ourselves to chaos. We’re recognizing God’s sovereignty. We’re living Fully Aligned In Trusting Him, knowing that our lives are safest in His hands, not ours.
This kind of surrender shows up when:
- We choose peace instead of perfection
- We release the need to have every answer
- We trade anxiety for worship
- We stop micromanaging and start marveling at what God’s doing
Our FAITH design has the words “Fully Aligned” incorporated into it. A wearable prayer for every person learning how to walk in daily surrender.
When Letting Go Leads to Breakthrough
So many breakthroughs come after surrender. Consider Abraham and Isaac. Moses before Pharaoh. Mary’s yes to the angel. Paul in prison. None of them knew exactly how things would unfold. But all of them experienced God’s provision because they let go of their plans and trusted His.
In your own life, what would it look like to let go?
- To pause before forcing the next step
- To stop striving for what God hasn’t yet released for your life
- To say, “Not my will, but Yours be done”
You might jot down a few short prayers and Scriptures to pray when your grip on control feels too tight. It’s a somewhat easy, comforting way to stay spiritually grounded.
Letting Go and Getting Going
Letting go isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s admitting that you’re not God. And that’s a very good thing. The more we release control, the more room we make for God to move, guide, and surprise us.
So today, take a breath. Open your hands. Surrender the plan. And say with confidence: “I may not know what’s next, but I trust the One who does.”
Letting go and trusting God is the path to peace. It’s the heart of FAITH—Fully Aligned In Trusting Him. And it might just be the beginning of something better than you ever imagined.
