Week 3: Trusting God When You Don’t Want To
Trusting God When You Don’t Want To
Opening Thought
It’s human nature to want to follow the path of least resistance. We prefer comfort, predictability, and control. But God’s ways often lead us through paths that refine rather than relax us. The Christian life is not about ease; it’s about trust. It’s about choosing eternal value over earthly comfort, obedience over understanding, and surrender over self-will.
When we resist God’s leading, it’s often because we don’t fully trust His heart. We may fear the unknown, doubt His timing, or cling to our own plans. Yet true faith begins where our comfort ends.
When Trust Feels Like a Battle
It’s human nature to crave control. We long for certainty, comfort, and clarity before we take a step. Yet, walking with God often means stepping into what we cannot see. True trust is forged not in the ease of knowing, but in the tension of surrendering.
There will be seasons when God calls you to obey before understanding. You’ll feel His prompting to forgive, to release, to move, to speak, to wait—and every part of your flesh will resist. That tension isn’t sin; it’s a spiritual crossroads. In those moments, we must decide whether we will lean on our own understanding or rest in His.
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”
— Proverbs 3:5–6 (AMP)
God doesn’t need us to understand His plan to fulfill His purpose—He needs our yes.
When we submit our will to His, we exchange anxiety for assurance, confusion for clarity, and fear for faith. The pathway of trust is rarely comfortable, but it is always fruitful.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
— Isaiah 55:8–9 (AMP)
Reflection Questions
What situation in your life right now requires you to trust God without fully understanding His plan?
Which feels harder for you—waiting on God or obeying Him when you don’t agree? Why?
How can you acknowledge God “in all your ways” this week, practically speaking?
1. Jonah: Running From What You Don’t Understand
Jonah’s story is a mirror for our own rebellion. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh—a wicked and violent city—and proclaim repentance. Jonah’s response? He ran the other way.
“But Jonah ran away to Tarshish to escape from the presence of the Lord [and his duty as His prophet].”
— Jonah 1:3 (AMP)
Jonah didn’t misunderstand God’s instruction; he simply didn’t agree with it. He didn’t want to show mercy to people he felt didn’t deserve it. His disobedience wasn’t ignorance—it was pride, fear, and control.
So he boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction. But when you run from God, you never run to peace. The farther Jonah went from God’s plan, the more turbulent his life became.
“The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to break up.”
— Jonah 1:4 (AMP)
God, in His mercy, sent the storm—not to punish Jonah, but to pursue him. Sometimes, the chaos we experience isn’t demonic attack—it’s divine redirection. God will allow storms to strip away our false securities and lead us back to surrender.
In the belly of the fish, Jonah learned that running leads to captivity, while obedience leads to deliverance. His repentance unlocked mercy not only for himself but for an entire city.
“When my soul was fainting within me, I remembered the Lord,
And my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple.”
— Jonah 2:7 (AMP)
Reflection Questions
Have you ever resisted what God asked you to do because it didn’t make sense?
What “storms” in your life could actually be God trying to get your attention or redirect your steps?
In what ways has disobedience delayed your peace or breakthrough?
2. Esther: Obedience in the Face of Fear
Esther’s story is one of divine positioning. She was an orphan, raised by her cousin Mordecai, yet God orchestrated her steps to become queen of Persia. But with her position came a divine purpose—to stand in the gap for her people when an evil decree threatened their destruction.
When Mordecai revealed the plan, Esther was terrified. Approaching the king uninvited could mean death. Her initial response was fear, hesitation, and self-preservation—just like us when obedience feels costly.
“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court without being summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live.”
— Esther 4:11 (AMP)
But Mordecai’s words pierced her hesitation:
“Who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]?”
— Esther 4:14 (AMP)
With courage birthed in prayer and fasting, Esther surrendered her fear and stepped into destiny. She realized that obedience might cost her life—but disobedience would cost her calling.
“Then I will go in to see the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
— Esther 4:16 (AMP)
God honored her obedience, and her bold trust saved an entire nation.
Sometimes obedience feels dangerous. But what if the very thing that scares you most is the door to your divine purpose?
Reflection Questions
What fears have been keeping you from obeying God’s instructions?
How might God be preparing you “for such a time as this”?
What would fasting and prayer look like as you prepare to act in faith?
3. Jesus: The Perfect Example of Trust and Surrender
In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see the greatest act of trust ever displayed. Jesus knew what awaited Him—betrayal, humiliation, torture, and the cross. Yet His humanity cried out for another way.
“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.”
— Luke 22:42 (AMP)
This was not weakness—it was surrender. Jesus didn’t deny His pain; He submitted it. He modeled that trust is not the absence of struggle but the victory of submission.
“Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered.”
— Hebrews 5:8 (AMP)
Jesus could have chosen comfort, but He chose the cross. He could have avoided pain, but He embraced purpose. And because He did, you and I have redemption today.
Trust will always cost something. But the reward of obedience will always outweigh the pain of sacrifice.
“For the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him He endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
— Hebrews 12:2 (AMP)
Your obedience may not make sense right now. It may hurt. It may cost you relationships, reputation, or comfort. But on the other side of obedience is resurrection—new life, new peace, and new purpose.
Reflection Questions
What is your “Gethsemane” moment right now—where you’re wrestling with God’s will versus your own?
What joy or purpose might God be setting before you on the other side of your obedience?
How can you surrender your emotions to align with His will?
4. The Freedom Found in Surrender
Obedience to God isn’t bondage—it’s liberation. The world tells us that freedom means doing whatever we want, whenever we want. But true freedom is found in doing what we were created for: loving, trusting, and following the voice of God.
When we try to control outcomes, we carry a weight that was never meant to rest on our shoulders. Surrender lifts that burden and places it back where it belongs—in God’s capable hands. When we finally release the need to fix, figure out, and force things, we step into divine peace.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].’”
— Matthew 16:24 (AMP)
Surrender is not weakness—it’s warfare. It’s choosing to fight spiritual battles through submission instead of striving. Every time we say “Not my will, but Yours, Lord,” the chains of fear and pride loosen their grip. The more we yield, the freer we become.
“For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].”
— Matthew 16:25 (AMP)
Surrender doesn’t strip us—it strengthens us. It removes false dependencies and fills us with divine power. God’s will may require sacrifice, but it will never lead to regret. Every act of obedience ushers in spiritual fruit—peace, purpose, and protection.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].”
— 2 Corinthians 3:17 (AMP)
When we surrender, we’re not giving up—we’re trading up.
We exchange:
Fear for faith — believing God’s plan is better than ours.
Stress for surrender — trusting that His timing is perfect.
Control for confidence — knowing He is both sovereign and good.
And here’s the promise:
“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”
— Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)
When we stop striving and start trusting, peace flows like a river. His Spirit brings liberty, His truth brings clarity, and His presence brings rest.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest [renewal, blessed quiet] for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
— Matthew 11:28–30 (AMP)
God’s version of freedom isn’t the absence of boundaries—it’s the presence of peace.
It’s not about getting everything we want; it’s about becoming who we were meant to be in Him.
“Stand firm then, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].”
— Galatians 5:1 (AMP)
When you fully surrender, you’ll discover that the safest, most powerful, and most peaceful place to be is in the center of God’s will.
Reflection Questions
What part of your life have you been trying to control instead of surrendering to God?
How would your daily peace change if you fully trusted that God’s plan was better than your own?
What fears surface when you think about surrendering? How can you bring those fears honestly before God in prayer?
Where have you experienced freedom or breakthrough as a result of obedience?
How can you begin practicing surrender daily—not as a one-time act, but as a lifestyle of trust?
5. The Reward of Relentless Trust
Trusting God when you don’t want to is one of the highest forms of worship.
It’s a declaration that says, “God, You are faithful—even when my circumstances are not.” Every time you surrender your will, Heaven takes notice. Every time you obey through pain or uncertainty, the fragrance of your faith rises as a sweet offering before the throne of God.
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
— Romans 8:28 (AMP)
This verse doesn’t promise that everything feels good—it promises that everything works for good. Even the heartbreaks, delays, betrayals, and unanswered prayers are being woven together in God’s redemptive plan.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
— Psalm 84:11 (AMP)
When you choose to trust, you position yourself under divine favor. God’s goodness isn’t conditional—it’s covenantal. He doesn’t just reward obedience; He transforms you through it.
“Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.”
— Psalm 34:8 (AMP)
Trust is not passive—it’s powerful. It’s choosing rest over worry, worship over fear, and faith over control.
When we stop fighting for our own way, we open the door for God to move in ways we could never orchestrate.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him also and He will do it.”
— Psalm 37:5 (AMP)
Relentless trust is the soil where miracles grow. It’s what allows peace to rule your heart when chaos surrounds you. It’s what keeps your faith alive when you can’t see the finish line.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
— Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)
When we trust God, we declare war against fear, anxiety, and unbelief. Trust anchors the soul—it steadies us when life shakes us.
“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord
And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.
For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,
That spreads out its roots by the river;
And will not fear the heat when it comes;
But its leaves will be green and moist.
And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought
Nor stop bearing fruit.”
— Jeremiah 17:7–8 (AMP)
That’s the promise:
When you choose to trust, even in drought seasons, you will still bear fruit. You’ll still stand strong. You’ll still flourish.
Trusting God isn’t a one-time decision—it’s a daily discipline. It’s waking up each morning and saying, “I don’t know what today holds, but I know who holds me.”
“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be in dread of them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”
— Deuteronomy 31:6 (AMP)
God never fails His faithful ones. The reward of relentless trust is not just answered prayers—it’s unshakable peace, divine alignment, and a deeper awareness of His presence.
“Those who know Your name [who have experienced Your precious mercy] will put their confident trust in You,
For You, O Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You.”
— Psalm 9:10 (AMP)
Reflection Questions
How does seeing trust as an act of worship shift your perspective on obedience?
What “drought season” in your life do you need to trust God to sustain you through?
Which of God’s promises above speaks most to your current situation? Why?
How has God proven His trustworthiness to you in past seasons?
What would it look like to practice relentless trust daily—in your words, your thoughts, and your actions?
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Closing Encouragement
Choosing to trust God when you don’t want to isn’t weakness—it’s worship.
Every act of surrender says, “God, I believe You know better than I do.”
And every step of obedience unlocks new levels of freedom, faith, and favor.
You may lose comfort, but you gain character.
You may lose control, but you gain peace.
You may lose what’s familiar, but you gain the presence of God Himself.
So what’s holding you back?
Lay it down today—and step boldly into the freedom that comes from trusting the One who never fails.