Of all the lessons I’ve learned in my life, trust has been by and far the hardest to learn. As a child, I trusted my parents and elders. As I got older, relationships would falter for lack of trust. Even now, in my golden years of retirement, I have difficulty knowing which of my many doctors to trust for my autoimmune disorders. At times in the past, knowing where to place my trust in my spiritual life has been difficult. Can you relate?
As a child we trust our parents. They are our caretakers. When I became a parent, I realized how difficult it is to know what best to do for your children and family. What you do or tell your children to do is based on your own experiences. I would falter whenever I would listen to someone who didn’t have my best interests in mind.
Jim Denison (of the Denison Forum) says: “Of all the resources at our disposal, trust is perhaps the most fragile. Real trust—the kind that can help people believe or rely on what you say even when they’d rather you be wrong—takes a long time to build but can be lost in an instant. Oftentimes, it only takes a single crack in that foundation for everything built upon it to begin crumbling. That basic reality is a big part of why God places so much emphasis on us being people whom others can trust.”
I agree. Trust for me has been the hardest lesson to learn. I want to be a trustworthy person. In my younger years I had to re-assess my trust levels daily. As a Christian, I have made a conscious decision to stand on the idea that Jesus is God, that he died for my sins, and that he was resurrected to life again. I’m glad I did. My trust in the Lord has never let me down and it grows all the time. I base my belief on the fact that there is confirmed evidence that Jesus is who the Bible says he is and that the rest of the claims about him are believable. While placing my faith in Him is still a necessary step, God has made it simple to take that step.
Trust is important to people in every part of life. It would be hard to survive in this world of ours without knowing who or what to trust. I have to trust that the light switch will turn on. I have to trust that the can of green beans actually contains green beans. And, yes, I have to decide to place my trust in my doctors’ advice versus listening to commercials for alternative remedies.
Scripture says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It’s the same with God. Drawing near to Him requires first a quieting of our “exterior” so that we can quiet our “interior.” I must lay down my distractions so I can enter that quiet place.
Lord, we trust You with our life, work and future. Help us to draw near to You so we can experience the wholeness of You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It! Debby can be contacted at caryjohnefurdministries@gmail.com. Visit her at the Second Mile blog at https://debbyefurd.com.
Tagged: parenting, trusting God
