“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3.

Have you ever been in a quandary about what you should do? Issues can be so complex and so threatening that we cannot determine a proper course of action. Sometimes there seem to be no answers. Other times, too many options make the obvious choice indiscernible. What should we do when we feel frozen and helpless regarding a challenge we face.

For some, they plan to ignore the issue. A few years ago, a pilot talked to me about emergency procedures while flying at night. We were discussing the issue of engine failure and emergency landing of a private aircraft at night. Amid the discussion, the pilot asked me, “Do you know what you do if you are making an emergency landing with your landing lights on and you don’t like what you see ahead?” I said, “No, what do you do?” He said, “If you don’t like what you see ahead, cut your landing lights off. Then, at least, you will not see it coming.” Many people “stick their head in the sand” and pretend that their issue will go away if they ignore it.

Others think, to do anything is better than doing nothing. We think the man of faith is always a man of action. So, we make an impetuous reaction to what we face and wonder why our problem grows. Many years ago, a chicken farmer, gathering eggs, was pecked by a hen. Admittedly, the peck of a mother hen hurts. But, in reaction to the peck, the farmer ripped his hand out of the cage, catching his thumb on a nail. The result was damage to the nerve to his thumb and loss of use. More times than not, an impetuous response will be a problem.

Many more, plan now and ask God to bless later. Instead of seeking God’s advice, these trust their own intuition and expect God to support whatever they devise as a solution. More than needing God’s approval, we need God’s advice. Only God knows what the future holds. Only God sees the complete situation. Only God reads the hearts of all involved. Only God has the power to make His will victorious over the schemes of others.

The best plan of action is to “commit” your actions to the Lord. The word, “commit,” means “to roll.” The implication is that the wise person rolls his problem on the Lord. By prayer and patience, we share our need and then allow God to prompt us on our next step. If we believe God has a solution, we become patient and wait on His timing. We become peaceful and expect resolution. We become perceptive as God gives us new insight once we cease to panic and begin to listen to Him.

In God’s timing and God’s way, He reveals the path to the resolution. When we are ready to move out of the way and allow God to lead, our plans will seem logical and sure.

If you are facing days of uncertainty and pressure, try moving yourself out of the way. Chances are that God has already created the solution and the plan. All He needs is for us to submit to His guidance and He will do the rest.

When you allow the Lord to have the load you face, you will not be weary from toil and effort. You will be relaxed because God has this problem and He also has you obediently following Him with expectancy and confidence.

Dr. John A. Temple is pastor of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church, 4032 Poplar Springs Drive, Meridian. Visit the church website at www.psdbc.org.