Stephen the Planner: How Jeremiah 10:23 Taught Him That a Man’s Life Is Not His Own

Frank Wible
Oct 6
2 min read

Stephen lived his life like a finely tuned machine. Every hour was scheduled, every task tracked, and every goal measured. He believed control was the secret to success.

Stephen had everything under control, until life reminded him that perfection on paper can’t calm a restless heart.

At work, his team knew not to deviate from his system. At home, his family followed his routines down to the minute. Everything had a plan, and every plan had a backup plan.

For years, it worked. His business flourished, his finances grew, and people admired his discipline. But underneath the structure, he carried a fear he never spoke about. He was terrified of losing control.

When his wife got sick, his careful plans began to crumble. He did everything possible to manage the situation, but the diagnosis was beyond his power. Doctors’ reports changed, treatment schedules shifted, and his sense of stability began to crack.

Late one night, he sat in the hospital waiting room, staring at the wall. All the charts, all the strategies, all the effort, it suddenly meant nothing. For the first time in his life, Stephen felt helpless.

In a quiet hospital room, Stephen discovered that real peace begins when a man admits that his life is not his own.

A friend from church stopped by to pray with him. Before leaving, he handed Stephen a small card with a verse written on it. I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

Stephen read the verse slowly. The words hit hard. They described his entire life. He had lived as if his steps belonged to him, as if control could protect him from pain.

That night, he prayed differently. Instead of asking God to fix things his way, he simply said, “Lord, I don’t know what to do. I give You control.”

It wasn’t an instant transformation, but peace began to take root. He stopped fighting every uncertain moment and started trusting God to guide him one day at a time.

His wife’s condition eventually stabilized, though the journey was long. Through it all, Stephen learned that faith doesn’t mean having the plan, it means trusting the One who does.

Back at work, his leadership style changed. He began letting others make decisions, empowering his team instead of micromanaging. His employees noticed that he was calmer, more approachable, and less rigid.

At home, he learned to laugh more and schedule less. When plans changed, he no longer felt panic. Instead, he reminded himself, “A man’s life is not his own.”

One morning, during his devotional time, he wrote those words at the top of his journal. They became his daily reminder that surrender is not weakness, it is worship.

Stephen’s story is proof that when men stop clinging to control and start trusting God, they discover freedom in the very place they once feared losing it.

Now, when people ask how he manages stress, he smiles and says, “I stopped trying to be the director of my own story. God writes it better than I ever could.”

Where do you struggle most with surrendering control to God?