“Commit your work to the LORD,

and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3, English Standard Version)

“Our activities and plans . . . will be no less our own for being his: only less burdensome . . . and better made.” (Derek Kidner, commenting on Proverbs 16:3)

Do you ever feel frantic in your work? Or, do you feel as if there is no plan, and that your work is random and without real significance?

Welcome to everybody’s world! Many of us struggle with these kinds of fears most of the time. All of us, I suspect, have times when the weight of our own scattered doings and plans is very heavy indeed.

Apparently, the writer of Proverbs 16:3 felt it necessary to warn his readers (or hearers) about this very danger. He writes a prescription for this dis-ease, but it is a bitter pill to swallow: “Commit (literally, “roll”) your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”

However, most of us like to handle things ourselves, even if we are mishandling them. From the time we are little, we are taught to take care of ourselves.

“You’re a big boy now. You should be able to go to the bathroom by yourself.”

“You’re able to do your own laundry and put it away.”

“You need to take responsibility, to stand on your own two feet.”

These messages are not wrong. We do need to learn to take care of ourselves, as much as we can.

But there are other lessons to be learned as well. We need to learn how to care for others. A person who takes care of only themselves isn’t even taking good care of themselves. If this covid-19 crisis teaches us anything, it is teaching us that we really do need one another. Yes, even those who make yeast and toilet paper!

There is one other lesson that I believe we need to learn. And frankly, most of us struggle with this lesson most of all. It is the lesson about trusting God with our doings and our plans.

Now, I am not talking about this lesson being difficult for people who do not believe in God. Of course, if you don’t believe in God, it is difficult—indeed contradictory—to speak of trusting God. But I am talking about the difficulty of trusting God, even those who call ourselves “believers.”

Oh, we’re pretty good about trusting God in general. It is only when we come down to the nitty-gritty, everyday plans and deeds that we struggle. On the other hand, if we only trust God “in general,” do we really trust God at all? I have my doubts about the worth and genuineness of that kind of generalized faith.

So, I need to commit my works to the LORD. Well, how do I do that?

I wish that I knew. Sorry to disappoint. Were you expecting some helpful, practical suggestions?

Well, perhaps one practical suggestion would be in order. It seems to help when I actually do it. Here it is! Just say to God something like this: “This isn’t really my work. It is yours, or at least, I hope that it is yours. Help me to do the work and make the plans, but help me not think of the plans or the work as mine. If planning and working is up to me, I’ll make an inadequate plan, and I won’t work as effectively as I would like.”

Such an attitude, when fiercely cultivated, helps me to relax, plan better, and work better. Give it a whirl, and see what happens. You might be surprised.