I wish it was true that if we trusted God we wouldn't have problems and our lives would always be great. That would be terrific...if it was the way God operated. This kind of thinking comes in many different forms such as: "If I really trusted God I would never have financial problems." "If I really trusted God, I would always be blessed with good circumstances." "If I really trusted God, I would get healed." "If I really trusted God, I wouldn't get depressed or feel afraid." "If I trusted God, I wouldn't need to take an anti-depressant." "If I really trusted God, my kids wouldn't mess up." "If I really trusted God, I wouldn't need Christian counseling."
Because this kind of thinking is false, we can feel very guilty when things don't change as we have prayed they would. Then we can even go down the road of, "If I only had enough faith."
Some time back one of our staff had to have surgery for a serious condition. This staff member received a call from someone well intended exhorting them and somewhat scolding them that if they would really trust God and have faith, God would heal them and they would not have to have surgery. This staff member was trusting God and we were all believing God's promises. This staff member chose to have the surgery and in the midst of a very difficult recovery, experienced a depth of intimacy with God he had never known before! God did heal him through the surgery and through his faith he experienced God in new ways!
There is no doubt God wants us to trust Him, depend on Him and believe His promises. However, even if our trust in God is 100%, that does not obligate God to do anything. He always loves us and His sovereign plans intersecting with His love are always what are best for us even when we don't understand.
It's interesting that when you look at God's heart for us in the Bible, you see a very different perspective. For example, in 2 Corinthians 1:9-11, Paul writes that he is under such difficult circumstances he thinks he may die. He responds to this by saying, "These things happened that we might not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead." Paul's challenging life events were not a result of him not trusting God. In fact, Paul understood that these difficult circumstances were an opportunity to trust God in a deeper way.
Did you know that Paul and his mission team experienced depression even though he trusted God? He writes in 2 Corinthians 7:6, "But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus." Paul also had health problems though he trusted God. He reminded the Christians in Galatia "As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you." Galatians 4:13
Trusting God is not going to keep us from problems. These problems are an opportunity to affirm in prayer that we are relying on all that God is and has promised because we are united with Him. To live in and from our union with God while we trust Him provides opportunity after opportunity to go deeper into intimacy with Him!
Live Free in Christ,
Mark Maulding, Founder & President
www.GraceLifeInternational.com
All Content Copyright © 2012 Mark Maulding
