What does it mean to trust God with everything?I’ve pondered that question often in my life. I think like most of us, I can tend to be impatient, but with that impatience I also inherited a tendency to grow anxious. Truth is, impatience and anxiety are often symptoms of our need to be in control.
Discovering that didn’t actually make me feel better. Can you relate?
Was I a control freak?
If you know me – don’t answer that! 🙂
I will admit though, that I’ve had my moments when I wanted everything to go as I envisioned it should. The way I had worked hard or planned for it to be.
When my kids were small, I planned plenty of birthday parties. Sometimes they were just with family, but now and then we would do a kids/friends party. A houseful of small boys makes for a wild time. If I had thought for a moment that I had control then, all I needed to do was wait a few minutes. Loss of control came quickly to light when we got out a piñata and the kids took turns trying to smack it open. Unfortunately the birthday child accidentally smacked one of his guests, ending the fun and all illusion of controlling this party went out the window.
The thing is, we really don’t have control of anything in life except our own choices and reactions to our circumstances. We cannot make other people do what we want. We cannot create the perfect scenario where all of our dreams come true.
And you know what? We can’t control God with our prayers either. Oh we try, don’t we? (Can you see me with raised hand waving?) Guilty. I’ve even offered Him advice on how to resolve situations I didn’t like. As if He needs my advice…ahem.
But what do we do when life just isn’t what we expected and God doesn’t seem to be listening? If we’re honest, we know that the answer to prayer is often wait. Abraham was told he would be the father of many nations, but it wasn’t until 24 years later that he was told – in one year Sarah will have a son. Ah, so now we have a time table? After waiting all this time?
But God isn’t required to give us time tables. Sometimes there is a long pause between “ask—-and you shall receive”.
That’s where trust comes in, and I’m preaching to myself here more than anyone. Trust, Beloved, because God is there and He is not silent. He’s just working incognito. Sometimes He’s purposely testing our patience, our faith, our willingness to give Him everything. Everything?
Yes. Everything. He won’t have any gods taking His place in our lives, and gods come in many forms. Lack of trusting Him is a signal that maybe I’m not really giving Him that rightful place–my heart–for which He died. For which He longs for me to give to Him without reservation.
If we are His and can trust Him with our eternal destiny, can we not also trust Him with our today? Our tomorrow? Our year? Our very breath?
It’s a daily question and a daily quest.
Choose trust, Beloved. Live grace.
~Selah
