This idea of trusting God, not for a specific outcome, but just trusting Him… with my life, has a profound affect on my outlook on life.
It removes time expectations –
The concern of being “early” or “late” is taken out of the way because it is His schedule we are working off of and I really don’t know when He will act, if ever.
It removes expectations for specific results –
I may have some idea of what I would like to see happen, but “Father (really does) know best”. I am so glad He has not answered all my prayers in the affirmative. What if the Lord actually allowed me to marry that gal I prayed about in eighth grade… YIKES!
It removes disappointment –
Because I am not certain what He is going to do or when He is going to act, or, even if He is going to act, there is no disappointment. Disappointment comes from expectations that are not met and since the only expectation I have is that He will do what’s best, there will never be any disappointment.
This expectation that He will always do what’s best is called TRUST.
This opens the door for some other graces we are told about. For instance:
Peace that passes understanding –
Think of Steven’s countenance as he was stoned, that was a man who had left the results up to God. Or, better yet, Jesus; from the garden arrest to the trials and abuse and crucifixion He is the picture of perfect peace. Why? Because he had surrendered himself to the Father as He sweat great drops of blood.
Paul said, “I have learned to be content (Phil 4.11)
I believe it came from lessons he learned previously and passed along to the church in Galatia a decade earlier:
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2.20)
That is a life of trust… “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”
It is a sublte difference to make the leap from “I am am trusting God to ______(fill in the blank)”, to simply, “I trust God”
May the Lord help us to keep it just that simple and let Him take care of the big stuff.
1 comment:
Pastor Scott,
Well said and AMEN! I thought about the last part a lot. "I am trusting God with _______ in my life. And simply I trust God." Big leap and difference from the two, just like you said. So my analogy of this is, I am taking a walk with Gabby (middle child, just in case you forgot). She loves the outdoors and quickly finds thing, rocks, snails, slugs, frogs, sticks, you name it she finds it and takes it along. Well she is not keeping up, with all the stopping and trying to hold everything that is now hers that she has collected along the way. So I want to hold her hand so we can walk together. But she has all these things that are important and precious to her. She struggles to put her closed fisted hand in mine, doesn't work. She doesn't hold it the other hand, because then she can't hold my hand and still collect things along the way.
So she says "Hold on to my wrist while I still hold on to my treasures." But I think, that doesn't sound fun, I want to hold her hand. So I tell her, "Let me hold your treasures, let me take good care of them. She considers it for a moment. She gives me certain things that she chooses for me to hold. We continue to walk,holding hands, this time hand half way closed holding on to the really important treasure. So I stop again and say
"Let me take care of those things that are still in your sweaty hand, too. Well she gives me, "You have got to be kidding look." These are too important, can't find this stuff all the time." I say, "No really, I will take care of it, trust me." After yet a pause, this time a little bit longer, she finally gives in. I now have all her possesions and she can now, open handed, hold on to my hand. I am very careful to take care of what is so precious to her. I then say, "Are you ready to walk, hand in hand, because I know where the really cool stuff is!" Let's go!
That is how I want to live my life, open hand in God's hand; letting Him show me the really cool stuff.
Thank you for your words, now I am off to give God everything... AHHHHHHH!!!!!!
In HIs Name,
Martha
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