What Trusting God in All Things Really Looks Like

What does spiritual maturity look like?

Christians have tried to narrowly define this over the last couple of millennia. I believe those who have matured—and are continuing to mature—develop the capacity to trust God when things go well or don’t go well.

I’m not talking about people who are clueless about the realities of life. I’m talking about people who are fully aware of dire consequences yet still have developed the capacity to trust God beyond their circumstances.

When Everything Goes as Planned

My wife Mary Kay and I recently made an eleven-day trip, and every detail of every plan went as planned. In my journal upon returning, I wrote, “Thanks, Lord, for orchestrating the events so that we were able to focus on people and not on plans.”

As I reflected on that statement, it occurred to me that I should do that regardless of the circumstances. But in reality, it is easier to focus on people when the details don’t need attention. God’s love, grace, and hope can be experienced whether things go smoothly or not.

I find it interesting how people thank God when things go as expected but rarely when they don’t. Why would we think we have infinite insight to know which outcomes are best? This is where faith must enter—faith in God’s unfailing love, grace, and hope, not in circumstances.

Rejoicing in the Lord Always

Paul writes in Philippians 4:4–5:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

These verses remind us to rejoice in the Lord always, not just when things go our way. We rejoice in Him, not in the circumstance. We may not enjoy the circumstance, but our faith, hope, and love are in Him, so we can rejoice that He will work through all things in our lives.

In All Things

The following verses include that phrase, “in all things” (NIV), and together they paint a fuller picture:

Romans 8:28 “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.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Ephesians 4:15 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

1 Peter 4:11 "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ..."

Each verse approaches the same truth from a different angle.

• In Romans, we see that God works in all situations to produce good in our lives.

  
  

• In 2 Corinthians, God’s grace provides what we need for every good work.

  
  

• In Ephesians, we’re told that if we speak the truth in love in all situations, we’ll grow up into Christ.

  
  

• In 1 Peter, when we serve others through God’s strength in all situations, He is honored.

That pretty much covers it: if we believe, behave, speak, and serve in every situation, trusting that God is in control and empowering us, we’ll grow to be more like Christ and bring Him glory. This is the eternal perspective that keeps us focused on God working through every situation, not on every situation working out the way we want.

The Two Extremes of Engagement

As I reflected on this, I realized people tend toward two extremes in how they engage life.

Some are so unengaged that they trust God to do whatever He’s going to do and become passive about the events around them. They appear “super spiritual” but are often unaware of the impact they could make if they tried.

Others are so engaged that they seek to control every situation and become anxious about what they can’t control. They appear “super responsible” but are often unaware of how little control they truly have.

The Balance of True Maturity

Neither extreme is healthy on its own. Spiritual maturity doesn’t live in the middle; it stretches across the whole range. It has the faith, courage, experience, and discipline to touch both extremes and fill all that lies between them.

Maturity knows when to work tirelessly to bring about change and when to make peace with reality and move on. It’s the developed capacity to discern which response is appropriate, and the discipline to act accordingly.