What Trusting God Really Looks Like
If we’re honest, it can be hard for us to trust God sometimes. Like really trusting Him beyond just trusting Him for our soul and salvation, but trusting Him with the day-to-day details of our lives. For believers, it’s the moment where our faith and action meet and life gets real.
We know how well we trust God (or don’t) as indicated by how worried we get about things; and by how much we move in panic or obsessively try to control outcomes.
But have you ever thought about why is it so hard for us to trust God if we really believe He is who He says He is? It’s a ridiculous thought to think that we can’t trust the God that created the universe and raises the dead (which we’d never probably admit). Still tho, I think trusting God is hard for us sometimes because it requires us to relinquish control — and some of our expectations.
It can be terrifying to not be in control of our outcomes or let go of what we expected or hoped for. But at the same time, it’s liberating when God’s in control or replaces our expectations with something better. Even when our expectations are let down, God is still doing what’s best for us (Romans 8.28). This is a big deal because if we judge God solely by our expectations rather than His character and truth, we’ll always be let down.
The goodness of God is all around us. It only comes into question when bad things happen. You have to put the badness of a situation against the history of God’s goodness. — Tony Evans
Lord Over The Outcomes
When bad things happen that hurt us or we don’t understand, God is still in control there too. Sometimes the hardest thing to accept is that He’s not just Lord over the outcome we want, He’s Lord over all outcomes – the good, great, bad, and ugly. He doesn’t stop being God or become less powerful because of a bad outcome or just an outcome that we don’t want.
Trusting in God doesn’t mean sitting idle or relinquishing our responsibility, but realigning our focus to where He is. Trusting God means trusting Him with my effort, doing my part, and allowing Him to do His.
Trusting in God means trusting Him in ALL outcomes instead of just for AN outcome that we want.
Trusting in God means trusting Him for provision rather than trusting IN provision. This is a mindset shift from just looking at what God provides to trusting who provides because He is the Provider (Philippians 4.19). Because hope is a person (Romans 15.13), we’re invited to trust in the One who provides over trusting in an outcome.
When Life Happens
Trusting God isn’t denying the reality of situations but trusting His sovereignty and hand in them. Some mountains we climb; other mountains, He’ll move. And unfortunately, sometimes this means not getting what we want or think we deserve.
Even when we can’t see God’s hand, we can trust His heart.
Trusting God means being mindful of what we’re speaking life into and against (Proverbs 18.21) and applying the needed action and effort to match because faith apart from our works doesn’t work (James 2.26).
Glory In Dependence
If God gave us free will, the best gift we can offer back to Him is our will, and with our will, our trust. Sometimes our will isn't just what we’re doing but what we’re not doing.
God glories in our frailty and weakness. A lot of people would balk at the notion that God wants us to be weak people, especially in a world that thrives on the weakness of others. But they misunderstand the mission. God wants us to be strong but He wants us to be strong in Him – not apart from Him – doing our own things for our own glory in our own ways. Including the things we do for Him in His name.
In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. 📖 Ephesians 6.10 AMP
Our very existence depends on Him and He wants it that way. So when we operate out of our own strength, resources, and abilities apart from Him – only to fall short, and we will – He glories in us needing and coming to Him because that is how we were designed to live. We were created to live in dependence ON Him, not independent FROM Him.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 📖 2 Corinthians 12.9 NLT
Trusting in God is a posture of submission, an assurance of who or what we deposit our confidence in. It’s acknowledging our ultimate source.
God never promised a pain-free life. But He promises to be with us in it all.
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. 📖 Proverbs 3.5-6 AMP