How to Release Control and Trust God With Your Business

ByAshley Freehan

What if the biggest thing standing between you and God’s peace in your business is not your strategy, but your grip on control?

Friend, that is the question I want to sit with you in today.

Surrender is not a one-time decision. It is a daily practice of choosing God’s way over our own. And in this final blog of our Trading Business Strategy for Surrender series, I am sharing three practical steps to help you live that out every single day.

Before we dive in, our anchor verse for everything we are about to talk about is found in Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.”

Hold that close. We are going to come back to it.

If you missed any of the previous blogs in this series, here is a quick recap of where we have been:

Now let’s dive into the three steps.

Step 1: Radical Acceptance

If you are going to truly learn what it looks like to surrender your business to the Lord, you have to start here. You have to radically accept that His ways are better than your ways, that His vision for your life is far greater than anything you could ever dream up on your own.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

This means that anything that comes your way, even the hard things, even the disappointing things, is going to be used for good. It is part of your testimony. It is part of your journey. And it is going to help shape you into who God has called you to be.

One of the most powerful things radical acceptance has taught me is that I can walk in obedience without seeing the full picture. I might want to see steps one through ten, but if God has only shown me step one, I can still take that step. And when He is ready to reveal step two, I will walk in obedience then too.

Hebrews 11:8 talks about Abraham and says: “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.”

Does that ever happen to you? You feel God calling you somewhere but you have no idea where you are going. All you know is that He said move. That is faith. And that is radical acceptance in action.

Step 2: Trust His Provision

I am going to be really honest with you here because this one is hard for me.

There are so many times when I want to rush provision. I want to be further along in my business than I am. I want more clients. I want more income. I want more clarity. And when those things are not coming as fast as I feel like they should, I am tempted to take matters into my own hands because deep down I feel like I deserve it.

Can anyone else relate to that?

The enemy is real, and he comes in and tries to fix our gaze on what we do not have. We start focusing on the lack instead of the provision God has already given us. And that is exactly where gratitude comes in.

If we want to live peace-filled lives, we have to become grateful women of God. We have to water the grass that He has already given us instead of staring over the fence at someone else’s lawn. Because the grass is greener wherever you water it.

And I want to be clear about something. Trusting His provision does not mean settling. It does not mean sitting back and doing nothing. It just means shifting our focus from striving and accumulating to contentment and faithfulness. It means saying, “Lord, you know the provision I am ready for and the pace at which I am ready for it. I trust you.”

Step 3: Release the Outcome

This is the hardest one for me. Honestly, it might be the hardest one for all of us.

Because after we have put in the time, the energy, the prayer, the obedience, we want the outcome to look exactly the way we pictured it. And when it does not, it is so easy to feel disappointed and start gripping back control.

But here is what I have learned. Every outcome that God allows is an opportunity for us to learn and grow. When things do not turn out the way I wanted, it is often one of the most pivotal moments in my journey.

I am actually living this out in real time right now with Purpose Pages. When I launched the crowdfunding campaign, I needed to raise $10,000 to build the website. Sales were coming in slowly at first, and every single day I had to fight the urge to panic and take back control.

During that time, God gave me a specific number. He told me 42 providers were going to come in during the campaign. Right now I have 32, and I am still standing on that promise. Still surrendering every single day. Still trusting that He is going to bring those last 10 people.

Because here is what I know to be true: you cannot manufacture what only God can bring.

So we have to release the outcome. We have to trust the process. And we have to let gratitude be our anchor when fear tries to creep in.

Peace Is Your Indicator

Remember that verse we started with? Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.”

Peace is your indicator light.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, or unsettled, that is a great sign that you have gripped back control. Those feelings are not from God. They are from the enemy. And when you feel them, it is time to circle back. Get prayerful. Focus on gratitude. Remember that His ways are higher than yours. And release the outcome back to Him.

But when you are feeling peaceful and clear, that means you are in surrender mode. That means you are trusting Him. And that is exactly where He wants you to be.

Your Challenge This Week

Ask yourself honestly: where have you been gripping control lately? Is it your income? Your timeline? A specific outcome you have been holding too tightly?

Pick one area and release it to the Lord today. Write it down. Pray over it. And then choose, just for today, to trust that He has it.

Because surrender is not a one-time decision. It is a daily choice to say, “Lord, your ways are better than mine. I trust you.”

The Full Series: Trading Business Strategy for Surrender

We have covered so much ground together in this series and I am so proud of you for showing up. Here is the full lineup in case you want to go back and read from the beginning:

A Note Before You Go

Friend, surrender is a choice. It is a daily decision to choose God’s way over our own. And I know it is not always easy. But I promise you that on the other side of surrender is more peace than you have ever felt.

You do not have to do life and business alone. And I am always here rooting for you.

Come hang out with us here every week, and I cannot wait to see you in the next blog post.

Related Episodes: 

  1. Why Christian Entrepreneurs Need Surrender More Than Strategy
  2. Godly Metrics of Success Every Christian Entrepreneur Needs to Hear
  3. The Business Meeting With God Every Christian Entrepreneur Needs

Resources:

  1. Purpose Pages Directory – A free, vetted online directory to help you find Christian coaches and service providers you can trust.
  2. Follow Purpose Pages on Instagram – Find trusted Christian providers and connect with a community that gets you.
  3. The Purpose Gathering Live (Waitlist) – A Spirit-led day to refocus, reconnect & recharge in Downtown Gilbert, AZ. Live worship, speaker sessions, guided reflection, and intentional connection with faith-driven women in business. Grab your ticket
  4. Join the Faith-Fueled Fireside on July 16th at 10AM (AZ Time) – This virtual gathering is an opportunity to connect with like minded mamas who are ready to trade hustle for peace this season.
  5. Join the Free Purpose Gathering Community – A welcoming space for Christian mompreneurs to connect, grow, and be encouraged in both life and business.
  6. The Armor of God – Bible Study for Women with Video Access
  7. Grace Over Grind: How Grace Will Take Your Business Where Grinding Can’t
  8. Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here.
  9. Please connect with me on Instagram @thepurposegathering.

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