Trusting God With Your Family When You Can’t Control Everything
- meetgodattheedgeof
- Feb 16
- 3 min read
Joshua 24:15
“But if you don’t want to worship the Lord, then choose here and now! … As for me and my family, we will worship and obey the Lord.”
Family.
The first time I read this verse, I instantly loved Joshua. What a bold leader he must have been for his family. I imagine they looked forward to the next adventure of following the Lord. Or maybe not — families can be unsupportive when understanding is low and faith is what’s required.
As a father, I look at my kids and constantly evaluate how I’m doing and how they’re responding. In some areas, I’m very happy. In others, I feel like I completely failed. The struggle is constant.
I am extremely protective. When I first laid eyes on my beautiful newborn baby, I turned into a different person. I felt an overwhelming need to make sure no one ever harmed them. I used to joke that if someone hurt them, I would end up in jail because I would destroy them.
The reason I bring up that embarrassing old version of me is because even that kind of thinking is rooted in a lack of understanding of who God is. Yes, I believe God has charged me with protecting my family from harm. But I also have to accept that there are many things I cannot protect them from.
That’s where trusting God with your family begins.
I need to let God work in their lives just as He did in mine. Just as we’ve experienced, our lessons and learning are sometimes painful. Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing one of my children with a broken heart. In those moments, I have to cling to God’s promise that He never leaves their side.
Teaching them to lean into God for comfort — not just run to Mom or Dad — will serve them well when they are older. Sometimes the greatest act of love is stepping back and letting God step forward.
Sometimes we need to let go and trust God with our family.
I’ve heard it clearly before:“Kevin, get out of My way.”
When my son goes on a Scout trip, I fear what could happen — but now I pray and give him to the Lord. When my wife and daughter drive to a competition, I pray and give them to the Lord. That prayer happens over and over again, reminding me that trusting God with your family is not a one-time decision — it’s a daily surrender.
The Lord loves them more than I ever could. And that understanding makes letting go of worry possible.
Joshua declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Serving the Lord isn’t just about leading Bible studies or saying the right words. Sometimes serving Him looks like releasing control. It looks like surrendering fear. It looks like choosing faith over anxiety when you can’t control everything.
If we want to develop into godly leaders, this is where it starts.
Trusting God with everything in your life — especially your family.
Show them that faith comes first. Words don’t mean much if our actions show something different. When they see us pray instead of panic, surrender instead of strive, they learn what real faith looks like.
Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen.
1 Timothy 5:8
“People who don’t take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith…”
Caring for your family doesn’t always mean controlling every outcome. Sometimes it means placing them in the hands of the only One who truly can.
