It’s no secret that God knows what’s best for us. But too often, this is used as an excuse to not make decisions, do better, or make changes in our lives.

Often we hear people say, “I trust the Lord, that He has a plan for me,” or “I will wait upon the Lord’s timing.” While these statements are valid, there are myths coated around them that paralyze our ability to act.

The Lord knows what’s best for me

Too often, we get caught in this magical myth that everything will turn out the way the Lord has planned. But if this is the case, then what’s the whole point of having our agency to choose and coming here on earth to be tried and tested? The Lord knows what’s best for us, but it is our choices that determine whether His plans are fulfilled. Much like when our dietician knows the food we need to eat, but it is ultimately our choice to eat the food he recommends that will make us fit.

The Lord has his own timetable, so I will wait

Waiting upon the Lord is not a passive submission of our time and actions to Him. “I will wait upon the Lord’s timing” is often heard among single adults when it comes to dating and finding someone to marry. But imagine a single adult who says this while burying himself in a sea of books inside his bedroom, not wanting to attend single adult activities, socialize, or make friends. Waiting upon the Lord means constantly seeking and striving to achieve what we aspire for, while trusting that the Lord will give us what we seek when He sees that the time is right.

The Lord has a better plan

When things are not going the way we want them to, we tend to box ourselves into this cocoon of self-made refuge “the Lord has a better plan”. What’s the flaw in this thought? It’s the belief that the Lord’s plans are always comfortable, easy, abundant, or joyful. When we suffer, we seek for better days. But have we ever thought that suffering is also part of the Lord’s plan? Remember the mortal life of Jesus Christ was filled with suffering, and yet His life was perfect.

We might want to consider that whatever circumstances we are in at the moment might be where we need to be. What we can do is to make the most of what we are experiencing, and trust that the Lord’s hands are in the details of our lives.

While it is true that the Lord will always be there to help us when we seek Him, we also know that we are sent here to earth to act and not to be acted upon. We are given gifts, scriptures, and experiences that we may have the wisdom to act for ourselves. We are also blessed with prophets, apostles, local church leaders and the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us. The Lord has laid the path we must follow to go back to His presence, but it is our choice whether or not we take that path.