Why I Stopped Running My Life

Psalms 37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

That summer, I packed for camp hoping for a little break—one last deep breath before senior year swept in with all its questions. College applications, future plans, expectations from every direction—I was already feeling overwhelmed.

Towards the end of the week, I found myself standing among other campers in the sanctuary. The worship band played gentle music as the pastor delivered the closing of his sermon. Then he paused to let these words hang in the air.

“There is someone,” he said, “who needs to completely surrender their life plans to the Lord.”

I froze. My throat tightened. That was me.

Still, I didn’t rush to respond. I was scared. Surrender sounded beautiful in theory, but terrifying in practice. What if God’s plans were different than mine? What if surrender meant giving up something good?

Later, I sat across from my camp leader and let the tears come. I confessed I didn’t know what to do next. My mentor listened with compassion, guiding me through my doubts and helping me understand what true surrender meant.

It wasn’t about giving up my future; it was about trusting God with it, believing that He knew better than I ever could.

Looking back, it has not always been easy. Trusting God can be hard, especially when the future still feels so unknown. But over time, I have learned that surrender isn’t about giving up my dreams—it’s about trusting that He will guide me.

And for you? Maybe it is not your whole future you are wrestling with. Maybe it is just one decision. One burden. One thing you have gripped too tightly. What if your next right step is simply choosing to trust the One who has already seen the rest of your story—and loves you enough to walk with you every step of the way.