A Question of Trust.

Throughout our lives, we're faced with many instances where we can choose to trust someone or something...or not. There are many factors that have an effect on our decision to trust. Our past experiences, fear, whether or not we feel secure, the ambition to get what we want or need... and the list goes on. When we trust, we place a piece (no matter how small) of our life in another's hands. And unfortunately, often, we put our trust in what isn't trustworthy and we are let down, sometimes to the point of being completely broken.

So, why am I writing this seemingly depressing post? Well, I think that learning to trust is one of the most important parts of life. Going through life without trust would be pretty dull, not to mention exhausting. But, deep down, I think we all want to have a certain level of control. Control of our circumstances, our relationships and our decisions. We want to be in control because we somehow convince ourselves that "I know what's best for me."

So, what if you've been let down when you've put your trust somewhere other than yourself? Do you just go on putting yourself out there and trusting even though you've been hurt in the past? Well, I think that it's important to use wisdom when exercising trust. It's part of life to accept the fact that people aren't perfect and they will let you down. In fact, there really is only ONE who is always worthy of complete trust.

JESUS.

And yet, he is blamed for breaking people's trust all the time. I've heard so many people say things like: "God let me down" or "he allowed this terrible thing to happen." But, the reality is: the world has let you down. When you take a look around, it's not hard to see that bad things happen, the world is full of evil. Sickness, death, immorality, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. God created a perfect place for people to dwell, he created life and love. But, he also gave us the choice to live and to love. And honestly we, as people, make a lot of bad decisions.

God promises in scripture that he can be trusted completely.

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust in him, and he will act." -Psalm 37:3-5

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." -Isaiah 26:4

So, even though it's really hard to trust the Lord sometimes, whether it's because you aren't in control of the outcome or you've never really trusted him before, it's worth it. Ultimately, him being in control of your life is way better for you than being in control of your own life. So, hold your hands open and let the Lord take control of your life. And if you don't know how to do that (because I know that I definitely struggle with this), just ask him! He's got the answers. :)