Dictionary.com defines trust as "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing"; "confidence"; "hope."
So to trust someone we must rely on that person, have confidence in that person, and hope that the person will come through for us. That's pretty huge when you think about it!
I'm reminded of a classic Disney movie in which a character named Aladdin asks Jasmine, the beautiful princess, if she trusts him. She hesitates, and probably for good reason. Trusting someone is a big thing, and Jasmine wasn't sure if she could put all her hope and confidence in Aladdin helping her.
Making a huge leap from Disney movies to the Bible, I've been wondering what it really means to trust in God. It's not too hard to see that trusting in God means relying on God, hoping in God, and having confidence in God. But I have to admit that sometimes doing that is really tough, especially when I can't tangibly touch or feel the One whom I'm trusting in.
Yet the Bible is filled with verses about the hopeful results of trusting in Christ. Many Psalms reveal that trust brings deliverance and not disappointment, that God's unfailing love surrounds the person who trusts in Him, and that He helps those who trust in Him. I barely scratched the surface with those verses; there are just so many!
Since we know what it means to trust in God, what does it look like? Sure, we can talk about how important it is to trust God and what will happen if we trust God, but what does a person who completely and utterly trusts in God look like?
When I think of those who trust God, I think of Joseph, who trusted God even when his brothers sold him as a slave, when his master put him in prison, and when those he helped forgot about him. I think of Job, who lost his children, his health, and his possessions; yet, instead of getting mad at God or blaming God, he trusted in God. What about Jesus, who prayed that the upcoming days of abuse would be taken from Him, yet trusted God's plan no matter? Then there's Paul, who suffered great persecution and abandonment but still trusted Jesus.
So, why is it so hard sometimes to trust in God, perfect, unfailingly loving, ready-to-forgive God? I'm not sure I quite have the answer to that, though I think it could have something to do with the fact that trusting God means admitting that we can't handle everything by ourselves. And frankly it's plain hard to trust God when I see so much pain, suffering, and heartache in the lives of those around me, and often in my own life as well. But I continue to trust, knowing that God keeps His promises, and that even times of sorrow and disappointment will pass. And through every hardship, He is shaping me into the best possible version of myself.
This leads me to wonder, as I did in my previous post, about what others think when we tell them to "just trust God." Are we considering the possibility that they have no idea what trust in God really is? Or, maybe even more necessary, do we know what trust in Christ is? And are we actually living like we know what it means?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
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