Within the Christian faith, believers are called to strive for holiness and develop a relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are present in helping that walk to be successful and can include things such as: prayer, quiet times, discipleship, attending church, journaling, etc.. However, no matter how many spiritual disciplines one may partake in, one aspect of the spiritual walk remains difficult for everyone. We all struggle to surrender.

Stress is a real thing. Things don't typically go as planned, tragedies strike, and doubt is heightened. That's a part of life. However, are we not called to give those discomforts over to God and trust His faithfulness in getting us through? According to Proverbs 3:5-6 we are to, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." When Scripture so clearly lays out that we are to trust the Lord in all things and to disregard our own understanding, what makes it so difficult to fully submit our trust to the Lord and surrender our anxieties to Him?

I think the main issue is that God tells us where He wants us to go and we are quick to dismiss His instructions due to our own preferences. It's like we ask God for direction, but once it's given and it isn't what we hoped for we are quick to say, "Oh no, God. Anything but that." It's so much more convenient to place ourselves where we want to be, but what we don't consider is that God will have His way eventually in our lives no matter how stubborn we are. We live in a world where we are so used to making demands and gaining all knowledge immediately. Having to be patient and humbled when encountering God's instruction is a foreign concept to modern day society and that makes it so much more difficult to truly listen to His divine authority. But though it may be culturally acceptable to ignore God's calling on our lives, that doesn't mean it's the path we need to take.

I highly encourage you to consider what area of life you're struggling with. Is the struggle of it all taking over? I know that the unknown is scary and not knowing what the future holds is extremely risky, but God knows what He's doing and ultimately His plan is the most benefiting for your life. I challenge you to ask God to take the anxiety from you and guide you where He wants you to go. Let yourself live spontaneously according to His plan and invest your time in the Word and wholeheartedly listening for His calling upon your life. God is a speaking God. He will tell you in some way, shape, or form what you need to do and when you need to do it. God bless.