9 Miseries of Not Trusting in God’s Providence

 

Taken from a Monergism post on Facebook 

9 Miseries of Not Trusting in God’s Providence

“Ignorance of providence is the greatest of all miseries, and the knowledge of it is the highest happiness” (Institutes, 1541 ed., ch. 8 ). - John Calvin

1. Fear, Worry, Anxiety

When we lose sight of God’s providential rule and fatherly care, our hearts are often gripped by fear: fear of man and fear of circumstances. We begin to imagine a future without God in it—where dangers are real, outcomes are uncertain, and no one is in control. Worry thrives in the soil of unbelief. Jesus gently but firmly reminds us not to be anxious about tomorrow, because “your heavenly Father knows” (Matthew 6:32). When we forget this, we carry burdens never meant for us—robbing today of peace because we don’t trust God with tomorrow (Philippians 4:6–7). Anxiety, then, is not just an emotional struggle, but a spiritual one—a call to remember who God is.

2. Murmuring, Complaining, Chafing

When we fail to trust God's wisdom in our circumstances, we begin to murmur—quietly or loudly—against His ways. We say with our attitudes (and sometimes our lips), “This isn't fair,” or “Why me?” Like Israel grumbling in the wilderness, we grow blind to what God has done and cynical about what He is doing. Complaining is not merely venting frustration—it’s accusing God of mismanaging our lives (Exodus 16:2–3). The Apostle Paul warns us not to follow their example, for such murmuring provokes God's displeasure (1 Corinthians 10:10). True trust silences grumbling by saying, “This too is from my Father’s hand.”

3. Impatience

Impatience surfaces when we believe God is too slow or has forgotten us. We want His blessings, but on our timetable. This restlessness reveals a heart unwilling to wait on the Lord and confident in its own sense of timing. But God's delays are never denials—He is shaping us in the waiting (Psalm 27:14). Like a farmer waiting for the harvest, James reminds us to be patient, for the Lord’s timing is sure and purposeful (James 5:7–8). Impatience is not merely a personality flaw—it’s a theological issue. It questions whether God’s way is truly best.

4. Arm of Flesh (Self-reliance)

When we don’t trust in God’s providence, we instinctively turn to our own resources or human solutions to secure our future. This reliance on “the arm of flesh” (2 Chronicles 32:8) may seem prudent, but Scripture warns it leads to a curse—not a blessing (Jeremiah 17:5–6). Whether it’s strategic planning without prayer, or leaning on relationships, money, or cleverness, self-reliance is the refusal to rest in God. Isaiah rebukes Israel for trusting in Egypt instead of the Lord (Isaiah 31:1), showing us that trust misplaced in man is ultimately rebellion. To walk by faith is to trust in the unseen hand of our wise and sovereign God—even when the arm of flesh seems more tangible.

5. Envy and Covetousness

Without confidence in God’s wise allotment of blessings and trials, we begin to envy others. Like Asaph in Psalm 73, we may stumble when we see the apparent ease of the wicked and feel God has dealt unfairly with us. Trust in providence guards us from this temptation by teaching that “no good thing does He withhold” (Psalm 84:11).

6. Bitterness and Resentment

A distrust in providence often leads to holding grudges or growing resentful when people wrong us or when life disappoints. Instead of seeing God’s hand in hardship or delay (Genesis 50:20), we may grow hardened and accusatory toward the Lord. Jonah, for example, resented God’s mercy toward Nineveh and grew bitter when a plant that brought him shade was taken away. “It is better for me to die than to live,” he said (Jonah 4:8), revealing a heart unwilling to trust God's wisdom and goodness when things didn’t go his way. A woman overlooked for a promotion at work may stew in quiet resentment for months—toward her boss, her co-workers, even God—replaying the unfairness without ever asking, “Lord, what are You doing through this?” Instead of trusting that God governs even our setbacks, she becomes imprisoned by what others owe her. When we forget that God is wise and kind even in trials, bitterness grows like a root in the soul—poisoning not only our peace, but our perspective.

7. Sinful Self-Protection or Control

When we feel like God isn't in control, we try to take control ourselves, often through manipulation, dishonesty, or self-reliance. Like Abraham lying about Sarah (Genesis 12:10–20), we may make rash or unethical decisions driven by fear.

8. Despair or Fatalism

Without a biblical understanding of providence, suffering may lead to hopelessness or a stoic resignation. Trust in God's providence, by contrast, teaches us to say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 13:15), because even affliction is not arbitrary but fatherly (Hebrews 12:6–11), not impersonal, but personal.

9. Prayerlessness and Spiritual Apathy

When we don’t trust that God is actively and wisely governing all things for our good (Romans 8:28), we often stop praying with hope. A heart that doubts providence ceases to cast its cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), and instead grows cold, distant, and lethargic in spiritual disciplines.