There is a verse that has been sitting with me lately. The kind that you read a hundred times over the years and then one day it hits you differently — like hearing a familiar song in a new key.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
I have quoted this verse in prayer, written it on sticky notes, and probably even put it in a social media post at some point. But recently, God used it to teach me something I was not expecting — and it came through my work, of all places.
When Plans Fall Apart
A few weeks ago, I had a project I was sure about. I had the strategy mapped out, the data to back it up, and the confidence of someone who has been doing this for 20 years. Everything was lined up. And then it fell apart. Not because of anything I did wrong, but because circumstances shifted in a way I could not have predicted.
My first reaction? Frustration. My second? That familiar temptation to force things — to lean harder on my own understanding, my own experience, my own plans. I am a problem solver by nature. When something breaks, I fix it. That is what I do.
But God whispered that verse back to me: “Lean not on your own understanding.”
The Illusion of Control
Here is what I am learning, and honestly it is a lesson I keep needing to relearn: competence can become its own kind of idol. When you are good at what you do, it is easy to start trusting your abilities more than you trust God. Not consciously — nobody sits down and decides, “Today I am going to rely on myself instead of God.” It is subtler than that. It is the slow drift of a heart that prays less because it plans more.
I have spent my career analyzing data, building strategies, and making calculated decisions. Those are good things. God gave me those abilities, and I am grateful for them. But Proverbs 3:5-6 is not saying, “Do not use your brain.” It is saying, “Do not make your brain the foundation.”
What “All Your Heart” Actually Means
The phrase “with all your heart” is what gets me. Not some of your heart. Not the leftover heart after you have exhausted your own options. All of it. The Hebrew word for heart here — lev — refers to the whole inner person: mind, will, and emotions. It is total trust.
That is hard for a planner. It is hard for someone who likes spreadsheets and data and predictable outcomes. But I am finding that the most meaningful growth in my life — spiritually and professionally — has come in the seasons where I could not figure it out on my own. The seasons where I had to trust.
Submitting in All Your Ways
The verse does not say “submit to him in your church ways” or “submit to him in your prayer life.” It says “in all your ways.” That includes the Monday morning meeting. The client pitch. The spreadsheet. The frustrating algorithm update. The career decision.
I have been trying to practice this more intentionally. Before I start my workday, I take a few minutes to pray — not a formal, structured prayer, but an honest conversation. “God, this is what I am working on today. I have ideas about how to approach it, but I want to stay open to your direction. Guide my thinking. Help me see what I am missing.”
It sounds simple. It is simple. But it has changed the texture of my days. There is a lightness that comes from genuinely releasing outcomes to God instead of white-knuckling every result.
Straight Paths, Not Easy Paths
One more thing I want to note: the promise is that God will make your paths straight, not easy. A straight path can still be uphill. It can still be challenging. But it is the right direction. I find enormous comfort in that distinction. God is not promising a life without difficulty. He is promising a life with direction.
That project I mentioned earlier? It worked out — but not in the way I planned. It worked out better, actually, because the redirection opened doors I did not even know were there. That is the “straight path” in action. Not my path. His.
A Prayer to Carry
Lord, thank you for the gifts of intellect, experience, and skill. Help me hold them loosely. Remind me daily that they come from you and are meant to serve your purposes, not my ego. Teach me to trust you with all my heart — not just the parts I cannot figure out on my own, but all of it. Make my paths straight, even when I cannot see around the bend. Amen.
If Proverbs 3:5-6 speaks to you, I would love to hear how it has shown up in your life. Drop me a note on the contact page or connect with me on X/Twitter.
