Trusting Him

Years ago I participated in a word-association exercise. An exercise whereby you say the first thing that comes to mind with each spoken word. One individual would mention a few general words and the recipient would say the first thing that comes to mind. The intended purpose of this exercise is to get people to open up and share a few things about themselves on a much deeper level. In some instances it allows individuals to disclose how they truly feel about particular issues and also help address them. They include issues regarding past hurts, recovery, restoration and strongholds (things which are negative and are possibly seen in several generations) (Ephesians 6:12). In essence they reveal that sometimes we are under the impression that we can handle particular issues on our own. But if push comes to shove and things get too much, we may let our friends, relatives and professionals in on the problem so they can help us get it 'all together'. We are then tempted to put our trust in everything else but God. But I find it ironic that the one person who can handle everything, we tend to isolate...

Why?
Well, the one explanation for that is that individuals may struggle with unresolved trust issues or boundaries which people have crossed. While other explanations lean more towards us being set in our 'old ways' and therefore, it takes time for us to work through those issues. Not to mention effort! Nonetheless, they play a role in determining who we should let into our lives and inner circles and who to keep out. So, I have decided to examine what is trust and see what it's worth. To start off, trust refers to BELIEVING that someone WILL DO something. Other references state that trust is when one can DEPEND on, be SECURE and have CONFIDENCE in (have FAITH in something or someone). In effect, trust is a verb which means that it is something you do, such as taking God at His word (putting complete reliance on God and not our own understanding). In many ways trust is like glue - it's an important substance which holds things together such as friendships, marriages and partnerships. And I know for some of you reading this post, trust doesn't just magically appear in your life, especially if you have been disappointed several times by the same person or people. Nor do you trust those who have devastated you. No, it grows as one takes steps of faith and experiences God's faithfulness and that of others.

I thought it would be fitting for us to look at a romantic relationship for a few minutes. Such a relationship requires a degree of intimacy and consistency between two people as individuals tend to trust those they are close(st) to. And for some individuals opening up to others is not an easy task. They may wear a shell or build a heavily armed walls around their heart as a result of their trust being broken. This may also be due to one experiencing empty promises or encountering a few open wounds which one has not fully recovered from or dealt with. One may attempt to protect oneself, but may have not realized that wearing the incorrect armour only makes you a little more vulnerable. On that note, I'm reminded of a friend of mine who was once in that same position. She thought that she wore her heart on her sleeve, but she was actually quite guarded. She was under the impression that it was better to have one or two close friends than have a clique. And so she built up walls and they not only kept others out but locked herself in. They later this played a role in her becoming a skeptic as she failed to realize that there are people out there who care, keep their word and value integrity.

Despite the turn of events, my friend taught me that our hearts possess various things. They tell a tale of our fondest memories, deepest hurts and everything in-between. They also speak of the human spirit which contains emotions, courage and motivations. And the scriptures state that 'Rivers of living water will flow from the heart' (John 7:38). Yet we prevent such water from flowing freely when we surround ourselves with toxic people as we permit their company to corrupt good character (1 Corinthians 15:33). This can be corrected though if we abide by Proverbs 4:23 and guard our hearts. That requires that we be mindful of who we let into our inner circles and our lives. And that we do not depend on our emotions but acknowledge God instead (Proverbs 3:5-6) and be obedient to His Word.

Some people may confuse being mindful and cautious, with being a worry wart. But there is a difference between the two. We all possess a spiritual bank account whereby we either deposit equity (good things) or inequities (negative things) for ourselves and future generations. If we continue to make negative deposits, we will later max out our emotional accounts. And we may then give doubt the upper hand and this limits our growth as we begin to take little or no risks.

In one of her books Joyce Meyer states that a woman who doubts herself is unstable in everything she does. She gives into fear which is a form of sin (Hebrews 11:6). And she may be on the verge of crumbling. Those who are you quite indecisive may know what I am talking about. They know that doubt is an ugly thing! It may try squeeze its way into your heart but you have the power to not give in. Philipians 4:6-7 urges us to stop worrying but pray about everything (EVERY situation you find yourself in). For God is a good listener and as His children we should not be afraid to go to Him and pour our hearts out. We can ask Him for what we need and thank Him for all He has done. And realize that such acts allow us to experience His peace.

Have confidence in the fact that God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). He keeps His promises, every single one of them. And know that our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. God listens to every prayer and He is more than capable of handling the situation you find yourself in. He has already deposited gifts within us. All we have to do is unwrap those gifts and use them! By doing so we will begin to build our self-esteem, confidence and find out who God created us to be.

Jesus frequently poses the follwing questions to us, "Do you trust me? Will you let me in? Will you be attentive to the Holy Spirit? Will you entrust me with your most prized possessions?" What is your response?

P.S. God won't ask you to do something that He hasn't already prepared you to do. You may be in the wilderness right now but trust God to work things out. He knows exactly what He is doing!

- Mel ♡♥♡