Learning to Uncomplicate Trust in God
When my wife and I were driving out to Oregon, we were both joyful and anxiously nervous about our trip. Despite all the planning written out on a document and the exciting adventures ahead of us, there was still a sense of uncertainty as to what could go wrong – and believe me, some things did go wrong. But in these moments, we were able to lean on God in a whole new way that would not have been possible had everything gone to plan.
I once took a class on Romans 1-8 where the teacher focused intently on what faith means, and how it is specifically addressed in the book of Romans. He wrote the following on a whiteboard: faith = trust. Sometimes we overthink it and confuse faith and trust as two different things, but they are ultimately part of the same equation. Faith in God means trusting in him not only for our salvation, but for his daily assurance, providence, and sovereignty. And although this is a great reminder, where it becomes difficult is realizing the moments when we do not want to trust God. If you’re like me, you like control. You want to be in charge and know that you are doing everything in your power to fix things, especially in times of uncertainty. But God calls us to something more: “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
Trust in God is not a replacement for taking ownership of your work, but it is a call to give up your sense of control. Learning faithfulness means knowing that God ultimately holds the world in his hands, and that you cannot control every circumstance, event or person around you. In this, we have great freedom. Even in a day of perfect planning, we do not hold the keys to the outcomes in our lives – God may have exactly what we pictured or exactly the opposite. It is up to trust in him, to know that because God lives, we can give up control and take hold of the beautiful joy of life. As the chorus of the song, Because He Lives, says:
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!”
*References: Romans 1:17; Because He Lives by Bill & Gloria Gaither
