Trusting God Doesn’t Mean Doing Nothing
For a long time, I believed that effort was the only way to shape my life.
Before I became a Christian, I thought that how much I studied or worked on myself would determine how successful and fulfilling my life would be.
But after becoming a Christian, I came across a verse that really shook me: Matthew 6:25–34.
In short, it says:
Don’t worry about what you’ll eat or wear every day.
Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will be given to you.
Proverbs 16:3 also says:
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”
These verses teach that while we can make plans and put in effort, the results ultimately belong to God.
When I first read this, I thought:
“Maybe life isn’t just about designing it through my own daily effort.”
Effort Isn’t Wasted, But Doubts Can Come
It’s important to understand: the Bible doesn’t say we shouldn’t make an effort.
But it does remind us that God ultimately guides our lives.
After becoming a Christian, I went through a phase of watching “self-improvement” and “personal growth” videos.
I wanted to earn more, build confidence, and achieve my goals, so I worked hard. But doubts started to creep in:
・”Am I straying from God’s guidance?”
・“Is this really the best life God has prepared for me?”
・“Could I become prideful by trying to achieve things on my own?”
How to Deal with Doubts
Making an effort and taking action is not wrong.
I remembered my time in Australia.
When I couldn’t find work, nothing would come to me if I stayed home. I had to go out and look for opportunities.
A pastor once said to me:
“God will guide the results of your actions.”
It sounds simple, but hearing that again helped me realize that effort is part of receiving God’s blessings.
Even my current job as a Japanese tutor came from prayer—but I still had to search online to find it.
And I’ve worked to improve my skills and maintain quality so clients keep coming back.
This made me realize that faith and effort need to go hand in hand.
Balancing Trust and Effort in Daily Life
Sometimes when I try hard, I feel anxious:
“Am I relying on my own strength and forgetting God?”
But reading the Bible over time helped me see that trusting God and making an effort aren’t opposing ideas.
Praying every day is key.
You can ask God if what you’re doing is right.
This way, you’re not relying on yourself alone and can focus on what’s been entrusted to you.
Conclusion: Faith and Effort Together
In short, trusting God and putting in effort are not in conflict.
Through prayer and reading the Bible, we can hand over the direction and outcome of our lives to God.
Then we can focus on doing our daily tasks with all our energy.
For me, this is the best way to live in balance.
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