First published at www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com on May 27, 2014
TRUST
“Your just going to have to trust me.” Said the gentleman on the other end of the phone conversation. I was ordering flowers from a florist in another state and I wanted this arrangement to be just perfect. I was asking a lot of questions and he could tell I was skeptical of his abilities. Trust… it is hard for us to do. He gave me a web site to check out and see pictures of his work and as I learned more about him I was able to trust that he could do the job I had asked him to do. Trusting someone is hard because we have to give up the control. After I hung up the phone I felt this overwhelming thought that I do this with God too. Do I really trust he can do the job?
Over the years I have read many books on the topic and listened to many sermons about it so I should be really good at this trust thing, right? Well, I must admit that is where I usually mess up. In trying to remedy the situation I start to put trust in myself and others. Everyone and everything except for God. Why?
I think trust requires a perspective change. If we look at every life event, every sorrow and every prayer with the unshakable conviction that God is trustworthy, we can start on the amazing path of trust. We cannot trust someone we do not know. In order for me to trust the florist I had to find out more about him. In order to trust God we must get to know him. How do we do that? Try these 3 strategies…
1. Read from your Bible. As already stated, we can’t possibly trust in someone we don’t know. Get to know who God is. He has graciously provided all we need to know about Him in His holy word… The Bible. Start to underline the promises He has made and read the history of God and His provision to so many throughout the ages.
2. Talk to others about their life stories and share your stories too. Often it takes someone else to look into your life and point out God’s faithfulness or seeing God working in the life of a friend gives you that sense that God is trustworthy.
3. Try changing your perspective by asking this question, What is the alternative? Would the outcome of the situation be better if I relied just on myself, if I trusted others who also are also unreliable or have limited human wisdom and capabilities, or do I put my trust in the almighty God.
Sometimes our troubles or pain are so great that all we can do is cry out to God, “ Guard my life” as the psalmist did.( Psalm 86:2. ) And often when there is no relief in sight all we can do is acknowledge the greatness of God, wait for better days ahead, standing in the firm belief that God answers prayer and He is the one who sustains us in our difficult times.
Will you Trust Him?
Those who know your name will put there trust in you. Psalm 9:10