What Does "Trusting God" Mean?
By Colleen Swindoll Thompson
Trust is not one of my strong suits.
I could try to blame my struggle on not knowing enough trustworthy people, but I know the problem is rooted in me . . . in my desire to protect myself and in my fear of getting hurt or let down. I know that not trusting others is one of my defense mechanisms. Whenever I’m faced with an issue requiring trust, I skip right over it and jump into evaluation mode. I think to myself, “If I can gain a comprehensive knowledge of the problem, perhaps I’ll master it and escape trusting altogether.” (Sounds like a guy named Gideon, doesn’t it?)
My issue with trust isn’t new; my attempts to grow in this area aren’t new either. I’ve studied the word trust thoroughly, but my studies didn’t make me feel much better about trusting. I discovered that trust is about having tremendous confidence in someone or something, depending on someone or something for help. A lovely thought but not very encouraging. I also learned that real trust assumes that the one whom we trust demonstrates a fortified character of honesty, fairness, truthfulness, justice, morality, ethics, and consistency. By this time, if you’re like me, you’re thinking, “There’s no way! No one and nothing is that trustworthy!”
Here’s the conflict: Scripture says that there absolutely is someone that trustworthy. God’s Word calls us to trust in our heavenly Father without reservation, believing that He will sustain us and cause all things to work for our good (Romans 8:28).
My defense mechanism of not trusting others completely backfired when it came to God. You see, there is no stronger defense than Him. He is the answer to my struggle with trust—when I follow His call to trust, I discover that His character is fortified with honesty, fairness, faithfulness, truthfulness, and justice. He is the ultimate example of one who is moral, ethical, and consistent. He is unfaltering. He is dependable. Each time I trust Him, this truth settles deeper in my heart and my struggle with trusting grows less.
May I say today, I have learned that there is absolute freedom, joy, rest, and peace in trusting the sovereign, faithful Lord. I want you to know this freedom, joy, rest, and peace for yourself.
If I can trust God, I bet you can do it too. Come on, take the leap!
Copyright © 2010 by Insight for Living Ministries. All rights reserved worldwide.
About the author
Colleen Swindoll Thompson
Colleen Swindoll Thompson holds a bachelor of arts degree in Communication from Trinity International University as well as minors in psychology and education. Colleen serves as the director of Reframing Ministries at Insight for Living Ministries. From the personal challenges of raising a child with disabilities (her son Jonathan), Colleen offers help, hope, and a good dose of humor through speaking, writing, and counseling those affected by disability. Colleen and her husband, Toban, have five children and reside in Frisco, Texas.
