Training to Trust
I used to think I was a pretty trusting person, but I’m beginning to realize that’s not the case. I could blame that on some tough situations I’ve had to deal with or people that have broken agreements and ruined plans…
I could go on, but is that really the problem? I think the problem I have with trusting really stems from my heart, not outside circumstances.
There are so many verses from the Bible that tell us that we serve a trustworthy God. We are commanded to trust Him!
“Those who know your name trust you because you have not abandoned any who seek you, Lord.”
“Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.”
“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts him. I was helped, my heart rejoiced, and I thank him with my song.”
“All you people: Trust in him at all times! Pour out your hearts before him! God is our refuge!”
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”
“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is a rock for all ages.”
“Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in you — in God, whose word I praise. I trust in God; I won’t be afraid. What can mere flesh do to me?”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.”
“They won’t be frightened at bad news. Their hearts are steady, trusting in the Lord.”
“People are trapped by their fear of others; those who trust the Lord are secure.”
The Lord all these verses speak of has shown Himself to be trustworthy over and over again - all throughout history and in my own life personally!
But somehow I always forget that He is worthy of all trust. For example:
When my car breaks down. Again.
When I hear more bad news about a family member’s health.
When I’m caught in a situation and there’s nothing I can do about it.
My first reaction is almost always to freak out a little. My mind goes all over the place searching for answers and going through what options I have of fixing whatever’s wrong or just escaping. I run myself ragged with worry.
Why do we do that?
So many people are stressed all the time. There’s always something to worry about because we can’t control things. And when we can’t fix things, that leads to discouragement and even despair. That is NOT the abundant life that we are called to live! We’re not designed to live in worry. We’re actually designed - and commanded - to live in trust.
But that trust still doesn’t come easy for us sinful humans - me most of all. It’s a constant battle against the worries of the world and the doubting thoughts in your mind. Even our bodies suffer physical effects of stress.
Fighting against all of that seems almost more exhausting than the worry itself! But that’s only if we try to do it on our own. You can’t just force yourself not to worry. That just won’t work. It has to be through the power of the Holy Spirit within you.
And it’s a process. I’ve had to work on training to trust. I’ve been learning so much about this the last few months - especially my last semester of college. I’ve had to deal with a lot of questions and make a lot of decisions and do a lot of waiting. (What am I going to do when I’m done with school? Am I going to move back home or try to get a job in Virginia? I applied to all these jobs and I’m not hearing back from anyone. Ok, they don’t want me for this position - now what do I do?)
Since the Lord has made me aware of the fact that I'm totally a flake when it comes to trusting the Him, He’s been teaching me so much. I think it’s summed up pretty nicely in this verse:
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”
The first part of this verse points directly to the reason we can trust the Lord fully with everything (especially life plans and big decisions):
He directs our steps.
It’s that simple. He directs, we follow. The God we follow knows exactly what will happen and what is best for us.
Ok, but for real.
It’s just that simple. But it’s also just that hard.
It’s easy to say we trust God. It’s another thing to actually do it.
I think part of the practice and training of trusting God is DAILY SURRENDER.
It’s daily (or even minute-ly!) giving everything up to Him. For me that looks like praying a lot of prayers that sound pretty much the same. A lot of prayers starting with “please, Lord, I need…” and “AGH, Lord, what do I do about …?”
And that’s something I love about the Lord.
“He delights in every detail of their lives.”
That sounds to me like He doesn’t mind hearing about every little thing that makes us worried or upset. He wants us to talk with Him about anything.
One thing that I have been praying a lot about the past couple of weeks is a job that I applied for. I really can’t imagine another job that would be more perfect for me. It’s doing all the different kinds of work I love and the goal of the company is to help women read and understand the Word. All things I’m extremely passionate about!
So my silly little heart is saying “God! Do you see this job? And how absolutely, positively, perfect it is for me? You should give me this job! There’s no way there’s anything that would be better!”
And I can hear Him speaking to my heart, “My child! I know. I see. I’m working. Trust Me. I know what is truly best for you and I will make it come to pass. Be patient and JUST TRUST.”
I pray every day about this job and many other things. Pretty much the same prayers over and over. But I know God hears and He’s working. I know that placing my trust in Him is not in vain. And so I’m waiting (mostly) patiently to see His answers and readying myself to walk obediently in the steps He directs.
Want to be worry free? JUST TRUST
How do you trust? DAILY SURRENDER
Fill your mind and heart with the truth of His Word. His promises are true and His mercies are new every morning.
Let’s live abundantly!!
