A False Belief I Carried
I do not know where this notion of not disturbing God came from. For the longest time, I thought I needed to figure life out by myself. Deep within my heart, I hoped that maybe God would notice me and bless me—but only if He chose to, without me asking.
So I tried to be the “good girl.” I would serve Him faithfully, hoping to earn His blessings, almost like a reward system. Looking back, I realize how crooked that mindset was. It wasn’t true surrender—it was self-reliance disguised as service.
If God had blessed me under that mindset, I would have felt proud of myself, believing I had earned it. I could have even looked down on others, saying they didn’t have what I had because they were not good like me.
Reflection
- Where are you practicing self-reliance instead of depending on God?
- Where do you think this habit of self-reliance came from?
- Journal and ask God: “Lord, when did I start believing I had to do life on my own?”
What I Have Learned About God’s Ways
1. God Blesses Whom He Chooses
God’s blessings are not wages for our works. They are gifts of grace. He favors whom He chooses to favor, and He does it out of His deep love, not because we “earned” it.
“For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
—Romans 9:15–16
2. God Wants Us to Ask
I’ve learned that I need to ask Him. He invites us into a relationship, and in that relationship, He delights to give.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
—Ephesians 3:20
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
—Matthew 7:7
3. Life Is Not About Our Strength
It’s not about how smart, strong, or fast we are. Time and chance happen to all. God designed it this way so that no one can boast.
“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”
—Ecclesiastes 9:11
Reflection
- What would you like God to do for you right now? Write it down in your journal.
- Where are you tempted to rely on your own effort instead of His grace?
Choosing to Trust Him
I am learning to ask Him and to trust that He will answer my prayers—not because I am a good person but because He loves me.
I am also learning to trust Him when He says “no” or “wait,” because His heart is always for my best.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
—Romans 8:28
Reflection & Journaling
- What is God telling you concerning your prayer?
- Will you choose to trust Him, even if His answer is different from your expectation?
- How can you follow His guidance today?
Closing Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I have tried to do life on my own strength. Teach me to trust You, to ask boldly, and to rest in Your love. Help me to rely on You, not because of what I can earn, but because of who You are—faithful, loving, and good. Amen.