I have always contended that if we could fully put our trust in God we would no longer have a need for counselors. Just like everything in our pursuit of being more like Christ we get closer, but doesn’t it seem like the prize is just a tad out of reach? Okay on some days it is just a dot in the horizon.
But on others I feel God’s presence. I already know in my head that He is the Creator of the World. He is love. He is wisdom. In my head trust makes all of the sense in the world. On some days I feel in my heart the release of all of my worries and hurts to the God who created me and loves me. On other days the world, people, myself just do not make any sense to me.
I pray for God to explain to me why…to show me what to do…to guide me on where to go next. Trust is such a strong word. It seems like it would be a consistent factor in your life once you gain it. But in my experience it ebbs and flows. My trust for God may look more like a roller coaster with sudden drops and slow ascents.
Yet it is my most earnest belief that trusting God is the truest form of faith, transformation, and worship. I read a story once about Mother Teresa that you have probably heard me try to repeat if you have known me for very long at all. I was re-reading Brennan Mannings’ book Ruthless Trust (a favorite of mine) and it is here that I read the story. Books have been written about trust and I specifically recommend this book by Manning. But here I just want to share the story in Mannings’ words from an excerpt in his book:
When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at “the house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.
“What do you want me to pray for?” she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: “Pray that I have clarity.”
She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.” When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”
I love that story because I see myself as THE CLINGER. I have prayed for CLARITY so many times I have lost count. I have written blog posts about needing the flashing sign. And although it gives me comfort to pray for clarity and I really do want it, I know that on these occasions I need to re-set my priorities and pray for trust.
It is one of the most precious treasures in our existence and if I could bottle up trust and gift it to people that would be my new calling. Since I haven’t figured out how to manufacture trust I am relegated to praying for trust for many, many people including myself, and to recommending Brennan Manning’s book Ruthless Trust. I believe he understands and provides insights that will at a minimum have every reader redirecting their personal prayers to trusting God.
I would love to hear you thoughts on “trust”. Please share with us in the comments!
as you said, some days trust comes easily. some days, it comes not at all. it is difficult to constantly, at a cellular level, understand that we are all ‘taken care of’ and things will always, somehow, work out. our culture specializes in some things, one of which is to make us worry. regaining our trust in god also involves discarding the crap we have learned about fending for ourselves. thought-provoking post.
Ed I agree it is the consistent thing that challenges me. I can consciously turn it all over to God, but sometimes my unconscious sneaks in and takes it back. Thanks for commenting.
I am curious as to how many times in the Bible we are commanded to TRUST! Your article made me revisit this struggle in my life. From the beginning, Adam and Eve had to trust God that NOT to eat the apple was the best thing for them. Did they succeed?? Well, we know the rest of the story. It started there and has continued. Yet, God Promises time and time again that Trust is what we must do. Do we succeed?? Sometimes. And it is in those times that I have found abundant blessings. Thanks Sue for such an awesome reminder of His omnipotence.
Johanna, I too experience the abundant blessings in my times of Trust. Seeing that makes me focus on a more conscious approach to actually deciding to Trust vs. just hoping I feel more trusting. There in lies my desire to get off the roller coaster. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
You’ve touched on a topic I consider to be at the foundation of all our lives no matter what our belief system – because nobody ‘knows’ the answers.
If Christians *knew* the answers (had clarity as you say), there would be no room for Faith at all.
And this is not just a religious concept. Everyone on the planet, imho, lives by faith and trust – whether they call it that or not.
Scientists, for example, don’t really *know* the answers to even the most fundamental questions about our world. Gravity, electricity, time and even 3-dimensional space are all still shrouded in mystery. What we *know* about them has, and will continue to be proven wrong or at least incomplete.
But, because we all have to make choices and take actions based on something, we must all put our trust in something. And whether that is God, Science, or ourselves – whether it is done consciously or unconsciously – it is all faith.
What I admire about the kind of ‘trust’ you and Mother Teresa are talking about is that it is a *conscious* faith. You make a purposeful decision to live by faith, and you work daily to base your choices and actions in that conscious faith.
Jon, I agree with the philosophy that we do all have faith in something – for me conscious faith is rewarded with God’s blessing or presence – which in turn grows my faith. I am thankful for a God who wants relationship with me. Although I pray my faith will be strong, I like many unconsciously default to take control of my own destiny. That relationship being interactive helps me to consciously focus on giving up that control – which for me requires faith and trust. Still a roller coaster for me at times though. Thank you for your thought provoking comments!