Abandoning trust, or trusting with abandon?
What do you know about the word trust? Well, if we look it up in the dictionary we'll find that trust is firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. But still, what do YOU know about the word trust? What have you personally experienced in regard to trust? Trust can mean a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Trust isn't readily given, it isn't easily obtained, right? You don't just automatically trust someone the first time you meet them. Would you walk-up to someone you've never met before, tell them your whole life's story, and then ask them not to tell anyone? Probably not, but if you do, you may want to re-evaluate your definition of trust. I think I've learned more about the word trust in the past couple years than I have in the almost 29 years of my life, and I thought I'd share with you what I've found true trust to be, starting with the fact that trust is NOT easy.
There are a lot of people in my life whom I trust, my husband being one of them. I have trust in him, in his integrity, in his love, and in many other things, but (and there's always a but) I don't have trust in him when it comes to my future. I know, you're thinking HOLD THE PHONE, brakes are screeching to a halt, and red flags are going up everywhere, but it's true. My husband doesn't know my future, so how could I fully trust him to know how to address my needs in situations that haven't come to pass yet? I can't. I can only trust that he'll be prepared for those moments in the future, but that trust doesn't come from him, that trust comes from someone else. Someone who is far bigger and greater than my husband is. And that's not a slight to my husband at all. It's not his fault he's only human and can only do so much that his human-nature will allow. As humans we all have limitations. We aren't perfect and we never will be. We will always be flawed, and we will all have some sort of trust issues.
You don't have trust issues you say? I'm going to call your bluff on that one, chief. You can't tell me that you haven't had to delegate tasks to another individual and not be somewhat hesitant while handing off a task. I'm sure when you tried to hand something off to Lazy Susan (sorry Susan!) over there because she has a tendency to not follow-through on things, you had some reservations. You, my friend, have trust issues. We all do! Me included! When you have to fully rely on another individual to come through for you in a situation that seems like life or death, it's tough. You'd be sweating bullets if you had to trust Lazy Susan to save you from the jaws of death because she'd probably just go the easy route and let you take one for the team. Unless you fully knew Lazy Susan was someone who always kept her word and never did something that went against her word, you would be scared pantless. And even if you did know Lazy Susan to be of the top-shelf character, you'd still be scared pantless because she can't guarantee anything for you.
So trust is hard. It's even tough trusting those whom you love dearly and whom you know to love you dearly also. You set such a hefty expectation on a mere mortal being and he or she is bound to collapse under such a heavy burden. See, trust is so much more than what we can wrap our minds around. Sure, there's a definition to it, but how can you accurately give the definition of trust when there are so many different layers to it than the dictionary eludes?
There's not one person in this entire universe who can have your absolute full and complete trust. And if you think there is, then I want you to think really, really hard about that. How many times have you had trust in a person and they fail to meet those expectations? You may be thinking, "Well, I've had full and complete trust in God before too and He failed me, so why would I trust Him?" But friend, did He really fail you, or did He just not do what it was YOU wanted? We're prideful and selfish, and oftentimes we want things that will work more in our favor than in His favor. Y'all, He's good and He's so faithful. What may seem like a nightmare to you can turn out to be a pivotal moment in your life that propels you forward. If you hadn't gone through that time in your life, do you think you would have grown spiritually, mentally, and emotionally? Perhaps what it is you're going through is going to help you later on down the road or better yet help someone else who will be going through it. And if you actually had full and complete trust in God then you wouldn't be questioning Him at all, because you would have no room for doubting that He'll take care of you.
"I have told you all of this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33
How can you add something to complete? How can you add to perfection? You can't, and you shouldn't try. There is nothing more liberating than giving your full and complete trust to God. It's not easy, and I'm not saying it is. When we lack the control we so desire, it's hard to relinquish what control we do have. You may not see how things will ever work out, but that's not for you to worry about. We can't predict the future, there's no need in trying. There's no need in playing the "what-if" game because that will only lead to endless anxiety. I can tell you this, that if you 100% give your trust to him without abandon, you'll see some amazing things happen, and you'll hear Him clear as if He were standing right next to you, yelling in your ear. I might not get a lot of things right in life, but I think I'm getting this trust thing right and I'd like it if you could get it right too.
xo,
Jor
There are a lot of people in my life whom I trust, my husband being one of them. I have trust in him, in his integrity, in his love, and in many other things, but (and there's always a but) I don't have trust in him when it comes to my future. I know, you're thinking HOLD THE PHONE, brakes are screeching to a halt, and red flags are going up everywhere, but it's true. My husband doesn't know my future, so how could I fully trust him to know how to address my needs in situations that haven't come to pass yet? I can't. I can only trust that he'll be prepared for those moments in the future, but that trust doesn't come from him, that trust comes from someone else. Someone who is far bigger and greater than my husband is. And that's not a slight to my husband at all. It's not his fault he's only human and can only do so much that his human-nature will allow. As humans we all have limitations. We aren't perfect and we never will be. We will always be flawed, and we will all have some sort of trust issues.
You don't have trust issues you say? I'm going to call your bluff on that one, chief. You can't tell me that you haven't had to delegate tasks to another individual and not be somewhat hesitant while handing off a task. I'm sure when you tried to hand something off to Lazy Susan (sorry Susan!) over there because she has a tendency to not follow-through on things, you had some reservations. You, my friend, have trust issues. We all do! Me included! When you have to fully rely on another individual to come through for you in a situation that seems like life or death, it's tough. You'd be sweating bullets if you had to trust Lazy Susan to save you from the jaws of death because she'd probably just go the easy route and let you take one for the team. Unless you fully knew Lazy Susan was someone who always kept her word and never did something that went against her word, you would be scared pantless. And even if you did know Lazy Susan to be of the top-shelf character, you'd still be scared pantless because she can't guarantee anything for you.
So trust is hard. It's even tough trusting those whom you love dearly and whom you know to love you dearly also. You set such a hefty expectation on a mere mortal being and he or she is bound to collapse under such a heavy burden. See, trust is so much more than what we can wrap our minds around. Sure, there's a definition to it, but how can you accurately give the definition of trust when there are so many different layers to it than the dictionary eludes?
There's not one person in this entire universe who can have your absolute full and complete trust. And if you think there is, then I want you to think really, really hard about that. How many times have you had trust in a person and they fail to meet those expectations? You may be thinking, "Well, I've had full and complete trust in God before too and He failed me, so why would I trust Him?" But friend, did He really fail you, or did He just not do what it was YOU wanted? We're prideful and selfish, and oftentimes we want things that will work more in our favor than in His favor. Y'all, He's good and He's so faithful. What may seem like a nightmare to you can turn out to be a pivotal moment in your life that propels you forward. If you hadn't gone through that time in your life, do you think you would have grown spiritually, mentally, and emotionally? Perhaps what it is you're going through is going to help you later on down the road or better yet help someone else who will be going through it. And if you actually had full and complete trust in God then you wouldn't be questioning Him at all, because you would have no room for doubting that He'll take care of you.
"I have told you all of this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33
How can you add something to complete? How can you add to perfection? You can't, and you shouldn't try. There is nothing more liberating than giving your full and complete trust to God. It's not easy, and I'm not saying it is. When we lack the control we so desire, it's hard to relinquish what control we do have. You may not see how things will ever work out, but that's not for you to worry about. We can't predict the future, there's no need in trying. There's no need in playing the "what-if" game because that will only lead to endless anxiety. I can tell you this, that if you 100% give your trust to him without abandon, you'll see some amazing things happen, and you'll hear Him clear as if He were standing right next to you, yelling in your ear. I might not get a lot of things right in life, but I think I'm getting this trust thing right and I'd like it if you could get it right too.
xo,
Jor
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