I trust you

Trust

It’s a dirty little word. How often have you said “I trust you,” all the while having visions of the absolute worst case scenario and how you’re going to fix whatever goes wrong.

What does trust actually look like?

I should have thought this out better because I honestly have no clue what the answer is.

The example of trust that we saw in our bible study on Monday evening was that of a young child. The story went that there was a tree with a rope tied on one of the branches. The children would climb up a ladder and swing on this rope that was so high above the ground that their mother would be trembling while watching these children play on what she considered to be an incredibly dangerous plaything. The kids had faith that the swing was well secured and would hold their weight. The mother was envisioning all the things that could go wrong, all the ways that these children could be heard. She was oblivious to the shrieks of joy because in her mind they were replaced with shrieks of pain and hurting.

As you’re reading that, I can only imagine that your heart is going out to that poor mother. You’re remembering the horror stories that you’ve heard, you’re thinking about that stupid things that you’ve done and the same stance that you’ve taken when someone that you care about has done something that scared you half to death.

Jesus knows about fear. He experienced the most terrifying events that a person could ever imagine. And beyond that, he knows about our fears too.

In John 14 Jesus points us toward the ultimate source of strength, the one in whom we can trust. He acknowledges that our hearts will be troubled. He knows that we do have difficulty trusting him.

Going back to that rope swing. If that mother could be assured that the tree, rope, ladder etc. were all structurally sound, that it was completely safe, do you think she would cease worrying? No, probably not. Would she be less worried? I would imagine yes. This is the same sentiment expressed in the reading from John. Jesus assures his disciples, the same way we are assured today, that there is a plan in place. There are preparations to be done but the result will be phenomenal. This statement is meant to calm our fears and doubts and to point us towards the promise that he has for us.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus reveals himself to us as the one who saves. It is not only his words that make him trustworthy, but his actions, the way he cares for us and the very fact that he was willing to sacrifice everything in order to ensure that we were taken care of. In everything else that we place our trust there is always that possibility of being let down; in this we are assured that everything has been done and there is no need for doubt.

Now of course we can say that just fine. I can stand on the street corner and yell until I’m blue in the face about how much I trust in Jesus. I could write an entire blog post about just how deep my trust in Jesus actually goes. But what good is this expression of faith, if I’m not willing to do anything about it? If we do believe in what Jesus has done, that He is the way, the truth and the life, then a natural reflection of that will occur in what we do. I am well aware of the fact that I am a sinner. I am well aware of the fact that if it were up to me and what I do that I would rot in hell. I am also aware that God has forgiven my sins. I can recognize the blessings that God has given to me.

What now?

I can also recognize that elliptical trainer that is sitting in the corner. Do I get in better shape just by realizing what it is? Of course not. My spiritual health suffers as well when I recognize the opportunities and blessings that God has given to me and fail to use them.

We are faced with two options: to live our lives comfortable in our nice little bubble or to be shaken up and be put in an uncomfortable circumstance.

Now looking at those two options, I will be the first to admit that the first one seems a lot nicer. I can be in control (which I like a lot) and I don’t have to worry about being hurt. Sound familiar? Now if only that danged St Paul would stop calling me on it. Relying on God is scary. It very rarely produces the results that I had planned. But sometimes it produces something that is even greater. How can I know that God will have something good planned for me?

Trust.