Often life doesn’t go according to plan. A promotion doesn’t happen and our career plans get forgotten about, or a relationship falls apart and we end up spending every waking moment overthinking about what went wrong. But we need to see ‘the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end,’ and accept that He works according to His own timetable. Have you ever tried unlocking the door to your house when you’re rushing? It’s the right key, but it won’t work because you’re forcing it. Once you relax, the door easily opens. It’s the same when we’re trying to force things in life. We get more and more stressed because the things we thought would happen haven’t happened yet. The things we thought God had promised us don’t seem to be coming about, so we try and take things into our own hands and make them happen. But God knows what’s best for us, and when it’s best to happen. A bit later in Ecclesiastes, it says: ‘For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter’ (8:6 NIV). We shouldn’t get ourselves stressed and panicked because we can’t see what God’s doing. We need to walk by faith and not by sight (take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:7). One counsellor says: ‘Sometimes…you don’t get what you want today, you get what you have today. Maybe something needs to happen first. Or there’s an important lesson God wants you to learn and you’re trying to avoid it. Or it’s just not time.’ We need to stop trying so hard and stop trying to force things to happen in our lives. We need to hand our plans over to God, trust He knows best and ask for His peace to fill us.

What Now?

Are you stressing that your life plans don’t seem to be working out? Spend some time handing your plans over to God, and ask Him to help you see the bigger picture.