Reliance on God

ONE

We are told we should surrender everything to God and rely on Him. But what does that mean?

It is captured by four words in the Our Father; “Thy will be done.”

We rely on God when we do His will.

We can break it down to five parts:

Reliance on God means first making it our priority to spend time in friendship with God through daily meditation. Taking the time to read or listen to God’s Word that comes to us in scripture, the Saints, and the Church.

Then think it over to confirm your way of thinking to God’s way.

Then make a simple concrete resolution to put God’s way of thinking into practice.

If we don't do this then we are relying on ourselves and not God because we want our will and not His.

TWO

Too often we have predetermined what we want, and we go to prayer to get God to do it our way.

Instead, we should go to Jesus unconditionally detached from the outcome. We are not attached to our plans. We only want the will of God. Ask him what he wants for us or wants us to do. Then give him sufficient time to answer. Less time for small things and more time for bigger things.

Reliance on God requires asking with unconditional openness, listening, and patience.

THREE

Reliance on God is not an excuse for laziness or irresponsibility.

Reliance on God means we use the gifts God gave us to do what we are responsible for, we fulfill our duties.

But we don’t go beyond our zones of responsibility, that is God’s responsibility. Very often we are angry, fearful or overwhelmed because we are trying to do or worried about things that are not our responsibility.

Therefore, reliance on God means accepting and working within our limits and zones of responsibility. 

FOUR

Reliance on God means to accept what God allows.

To accept what we did not choose, do not like and cannot change, because God works all things for good for those who love Him.

It’s knowing that no matter what happens to me, God will come through with whatever I need.

If we reflect on our past we can see so many times God has taken care of us. God never changes. He will always come through for you.

FIVE

The most important part of relying on God is gratitude.

We forget to rely on God because we forget He is there, we then fall into our old ways of self-reliance.

If at least once a day and then many times throughout the day we pause and become aware of everything God has given us, then we are reminded that God is God, the Giver of all good things, and we are not God.

This simple recognition that I am not God is the best way to learn to rely on God and the best way to remember this is by continuous gratitude.