When it comes to relationships and our interconnectedness with other people in life, one of the words that features often is trust. Google the word ‘trust’ and a very powerful definition comes up:
‘firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something’.
It is generally accepted that the most fragile aspect of any relationship is trust. It is the hardest thing to earn and often, once broken, it takes ages to regain it, if at all. I have experienced in my life how difficult it is to be trusted or even looked at with any regard when trust has been broken. Trust is as expensive as it is valuable. The presence of trustworthiness in you will open doors for you. Conversely, the absence of it will shut them.
Yet, in the midst of the complexity of human relationship and our propensity for breaking each other’s hearts, God is known for making bold statements about just how much he can and should be trusted. The Bible is full of promises made to everyone who chooses to trust him. Some of the promises God makes are astounding. Take, for example, the words “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. In a time like ours where people leave each other over the slightest whim, it’s an assuring thing to know that someone is this confident in himself.
That’s the easy part though. It’s cool to feel excited and pumped up when we read about what God says he will do for us but what do we do when the reality of our lives feels completely different? If it’s true that he will never leave us or forsake us, why do we often feel so lonely? If it’s true that God knows us by name, why do we often feel so misunderstood? If it’s true that he will not let anything hurt us, why are so many of us depressed? Why is there such a huge disconnect between what God promises and the reality of our lives, especially here in Africa?
That gap is called ‘trust’.
If we want to trust God more, there are two things we need to be able to hold onto about him:
1) Character. God’s character is perfect and unchanging. If he promises something, he does it. Generally speaking, people can change their minds about us and walk away from us even after they have promised the moon. God isn’t like that. His character is reliable.
2) Ability. Not only is God trustworthy at the level of character, he has the ability to deliver. Everything belongs to him and so, when he has decided to do something, he has the means to do it. The limitation of people is that they may really want to do certain things for us but not have the resources to follow through. God doesn’t have this problem.
Getting to know God is not something one can do by reading a single article like this. Like any worthwhile relationship, it is both a process and a journey. At 1Africa, we are committed to sharing our experiences with you and helping you get started on this journey, if you aren’t already on it. If you would like to take a next step for yourself and go deeper into learning how to trust God more, please click on the banner below.