Trusting the Lord When Your Marriage Plans Change
Photo by Debby Hudson
How do you typically respond when your plans change?
So many things are unexpectedly different this year. Several of our friends had to postpone their wedding plans, honeymoon plans, or special anniversary trips.
When plans change, we have two options:
We can grasp at our plans desperately, trying to hold everything together and getting angry when we can’t.
Or we can trust that if a plan doesn’t work out, God has something better for us. We can give Him our plans in advance and trust that He knows what is best.
The truth is that when God is in your marriage, the plans don’t matter as much. It isn’t that plans lose their value—but with God, even when the plans don’t come together the way we expected, we still get to have the desires of our hearts. He is that gracious, that powerful, and that kind.
In fact, when He does change our plans, I think that every time we will discover along the way that the new plan is better than the old one, because that’s just how God works. He causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
That’s what I’m learning in this season. Instead of relying on all my careful plans—which, in 2020, could easily change at any moment—my heart gets to relax in the Lord as I live every day in the state of blessings that only He can give me.
He is my loving Father, and He greatly enjoys surprises and upgrades. Living my life with Him is an absolute delight—I just need to remember to let Him have the final say on my plans.
The Unanticipated Beauty of God’s Plans
When our plans change in a relationship, we need to trust the Lord.
After breaking up with her boyfriend, my friend Sharon felt heartbroken. In that place of change, when she could have given in to despair, she chose to believe that what God had told her would come about, just like He said. She spent time with Him and listened to His voice, and she also sought feedback and encouragement from the people she most trusted in her life.
Through those people she ended up meeting an amazing man—a very committed Christian, who proved to be kind and loving and filled with God’s Spirit. They’ve been married for several years now, and they have a precious little girl.
Sometimes our plans change, and there’s nothing we can do about it. That’s what a lot of us have experienced this year because of COVID-19, extreme weather, etc.
But at other times, our plans change because the Lord knows best. He is God, and His view of the situation is always so much clearer than ours. He sincerely does know what is excellent for us. So we can relax and entrust our plans to the Lord, knowing He will do beautiful things because He cares for us.
Beloved child of God, is there a plan you need to entrust to the Lord? Don’t be afraid to do so, because He has your best in mind.
A Simple Prayer to Apply This Idea
In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps. (Prov. 16:9 NIV)
Purposefully place your plans in the hands of God. You could pray something like this:
“Father, I trust my plans to You. You know this thing is important to me, and I choose to believe that I can trust You with my heart’s desire. Please lead me according to the special path You have for me.”
If you need additional prayer when it comes to entrusting your relationship plans or hopes to the Lord, please reach out to us! We would love to pray for you.
Also, we’re just about to start our fall and winter BTO groups. One of our biggest priorities in these groups is to create a community of love and support where, among other key things, we pray for each other to become more like Jesus, which is a vital part of every marriage.
If you’re interested in attending, register on our website.
Want to read more about dating, relationships, and your walk with God? Here are a few articles on related topics:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.