Can I Trust You?

I’ve been thinking about what it means to trust God.

I often forget how big God really is. I shrink Him down by making myself the center of everything. But, in actuality, God is the center of it all and I’m a very small part. I forget that I worship the same God who parted the Red Sea, changed Aaron’s rod into a serpent, and instructed Noah to build an ark. I forget that I worship a God who allows miracles and holds the universe in His hands.

So, why don’t I always trust Him?

When something traumatic happens, I run to God and ask Him 1,000 different ways to make my pain stop. I gladly hand over that broken relationship or health issue or financial strain, while still trying to hold on to everything else. As soon as things balance out again, I say, “Thanks God, I can handle it from here!” Lately, I’m realizing that trust is not based on the results of one event. Trust is a lifestyle.

Many people let single events discourage them from trusting God. They say, “I put all my faith in Him and my spouse died anyway.” Or, “I trusted Him with my finances and He let us foreclose on our house.” It’s easy to comprehend how these circumstances shake our faith, but why do we assume that God should allow us to live without pain? Why do we assume that we know what’s best for us? We see things from a narrow perspective and have no idea how our circumstances affect the lives of others.

I will never have all the answers, nor will I ever completely understand God. I do know that when I invest time in connecting with Him, I start to trust Him more. It works the same as any relationship– the more you spend time with someone and get to know how wonderful they are, the more you build trust.

I’m starting to recognize fear as a signal to let go of whatever I’m trying to control. Fear shows up in my life when I realize I’ve reached the extent of my abilities. But, according to scripture, when I am weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12).  Faith makes the impossible, possible. When I trust God, fear leaves and peace remains.

That’s the motivation behind my faith life right now. It’s not so I can receive favor from God. It’s not because I fear His wrath. I just want to know Him well enough that I can let go of everything and trust Him completely. Although I feel far from this lifestyle now… I’m working on it.