Sunday 2 February 2014

Can we really trust God?


It is natural, of course, for children to trust their parents. They accept without questionning that their parents love them and will  "not give them a stone if they ask for bread" or "give them a snake when they ask for a fish" (Luke 11:11).

This natural trust which we all have at birth continues as we grow up until some day someone hurts us for the first time. We become wary and careful to protect our vulnerability. Our trust dies a little. We become more selective in whom we trust and how much we trust different people.

It is in our nature to be careful and self-protective in this way. To trust everyone explicitly without question borders on immaturity or naivety to the extreme.

So, how do we get to totally trust an unseen God? A God we have grown to believe in, and now we purport to trust that He loves us and has our best interest at heart?


How do we trust Him when/if we've experienced frequent un-answered prayers; or when things go wrong in our lives?

Sure, it is easy to say glibly "Trust in God", He wants the best for us, He loves us, and so on.

But at what point do we really trust Him above all else and say "Thy will be done" and honestly mean it?

Regardless of the outcome of the situation, however bad it may be, we trust Him all the same. Because we know deep in our hearts that He will see us through our current difficulties.

It seems impossible doesn't it? To totally trust an unseen God without question. Just like a child.

But we have examples of others who have done just that.

The Virgin Mary trusted Him so much that she declared "let it be as God says", when she was visited by the Angel Gabriel.

Joseph trusted Him too when he took Mary as his wife.

Paul, Peter and the other early followers of Christ trusted Him too even when thrown into jail several times, were beaten, persecuted, stoned and put to death. They didn't say "Enough with all that. God has let us down many times and let us be imprisoned and beaten".

They still held on to their trust. Even to the point of death itself. They still trusted God and His Son Jesus.

How?

I suppose it is by surrendering their all to God. Literally giving their everything, their lives even, to God, in the full knowledge that, whatever happens, it will be for the good. They literally accepted that their lives were not their own and that their God, the God in Whom they trusted, would protect them even if it meant that they would die for Him.

These days of macho-liberated culture, we tend to consider surrender as a weakness.

In fact it is a strength.


Can you imagine the will-power and concentration of mind required to say "I totally trust you God, no matter what happens. You will look after me and my loved ones"?

And really believe it ... yes, really and truly believe it.

To be one thousand per cent certain that all will turn out all right?

This is no sign of weakness, no sign of surrender; but an act of strength and faith in the extreme.


To many this may seem impossible. Too difficult a proposition. Against our very nature to be wary and suspicious.

Perhaps so. But it should not stop us from trying.

And when our trust falters. When we hesitate and perhaps our "inner voice" makes us doubt His true love. We stop, ask His forgiveness, and start once again.

Through His grace He will lift us up and renew our trust in Him once again.

17 comments:

  1. Hi Victor! I am a big believer in trying. I know I can never be perfect, but I think God truly honors my toddler efforts to trust.
    The word 'surrender' is my word to live by in 2014. I really want to put all things under his feet (they are there already, so I don't know what the hold up is...well yes I do. It's me!).

    So I will ask forgiveness as you suggest, and just try again. And again. And I think the Lord will smile on it all, and shower me with grace to hang in there.
    Peace to you my friend,
    Ceil

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    1. Yes Ceil, the Good Lord will smile on you and shower you with grace. We all fail time and again; and the Lord knows that, and He forgives. I was told that Saints are sinners who never gave up trying.

      Thank you so much for writing in Ceil. God bless you.

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  2. Very well said Victor! God and I both know He isn't finished with me yet...Good thing too as I fail time and time again...Control, you know! A big problem in my case...
    All the best,

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    1. Too true Noelle. We all fear to give up control. We're perhaps too afraid of what might happen. It's in our nature.

      God loves us all the same. Because He knows that deep down we love Him and continue trying.

      God bless.

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  3. What if all the hurt is associated with God? Some people have many wounds and they attribute it to God, and so trusting in Him is much more difficult to them.

    Healing and trusting seems to go hand in hand, as your post suggest.

    I think the more we allow God to heal us, the more we can give ourselves to Him.

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    1. People often blame God when things go wrong and attribute their ills to Him. If we truly trust Him, we'd learn that He will heal us in good time.

      God bless you Jose.

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  4. Beautiful post, Victor. It is my greatest desire to trust the Lord totally and completely but I fail at this regularly. It's a process that takes a long time I guess.

    God bless!

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    1. We all often fail regularly. It is in our nature to protect ourselves. God knows this because He created us thus; and He forgives. We should go on trying.

      God bless you Mary.

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  5. Someone told me that crises are a way of God teaching us to grow our trust in Him. We should persevere and continue to trust.

    God bless you Colleen.

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  6. Thought-provoking post Victor. To me, it becomes easier when you do it absolutely and realize it will depend on faith alone. Yes we have Christ, our Blessed Mother, St Joseph, and the list of Saints as examples. But for us, personally, we need to understand that we cannot apply logic as we know it, and have the safety of concrete facts that we usually depend on. We just have to make the leap based on faith. But once we do ... once we "man up" (to echo your sentiment) ... it is liberating.

    God Bless you.

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    1. Yes, Michael; it's all a question of believing in Faith regardless of lack of concrete facts. Difficult as it may be.

      God bless you Michael.

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  7. Absolutely right, Victor. I'm writing an entire book on learning to trust God. I've found you really have to dig down deeply. There are lots of scars, lots of false starts. I once gave a friend who was hurting on book on trust, but ironically, I was the one questioning God about her situation! I seek to be fearless and at peace--no matter what.

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    1. Hi Connie,

      How nice to see you visiting me here. We hope you return soon.

      Trusting God in all things is really very difficult because we have to give up some control of our lives - something we're not programmed to do. God who created us, knows that all too well. That's why He forgives when we often fail.

      God bless you.

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  8. (((Through His grace He will lift us up and renew our trust in Him once again.)))

    In my old age, I try to play "IT" safe by telling GOD (Good Old Dad) not to let me be tested by "Satan" and his angels cause he wins all the time.

    I can almost hear evil who lived back word (Devil) saying "YA! The Truth will set you free!?

    God Bless

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