I thought it would be good to first define trust. I am talking about trust as a verb that means it is an action which I will go into more in a minute. First Webster’s definition of trust is “believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.” Trust believes in the reliability (dependability), truth (fact), ability (skill) and strength of (power of) whatever it is that is being trusted.
What is something you trust? Sun will come up, Who is someone you trust? Husband, parent The list probably is not that long because trust is a big deal.
So what is the difference between faith and trust?
Let me ask you a question. If I say I believe this chair will hold me. Am I stating faith or trust? I would say it could be both but more leaning on the side of faith. I can state faith BUT it is my actions that show that I trust. You cannot dispute me if I say I have faith that this chair will hold me. I can walk away and tell everyone of my faith, and no one could claim I do not have faith in chairs. BUT it is my actions that show that I not only have the faith belief but also the trust to sit on a chair. It is when I sit in the chair that you can see that I trust that the chair will hold me. Trust is the taking of action, putting my faith into motion, applying it to my life.
James 2:22 “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”
Trust is our faith and actions working together! **(Put hand straight up when say faith (up and down like our relationship with God) and horizontal when say actions (side to side like our relationship with people), intersect when say work together, forms T for trust)
When you ask someone to trust you, are you not asking them to show you somehow? If someone says I trust you to be on time, and then they call you a half an hour before your meeting and then text you ten minutes before the meeting, do you feel like they trust you? Why not? Because their words and their actions don’t line up. If they trusted you to be on time, what would that look like? Right, they would not think about your being on time they would just go and expect you to be there.
Trusting the Lord is putting action to our faith. It is taking what we read in the Bible and applying it to our life.
Now sometimes that action is doing and other times it is not doing. Two examples from Proverbs are: 16: 24 “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Speaking pleasant words even when one doesn’t feel pleasant is trusting the Lord! But 29: 11a says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger,” so we are not to speak at times too. Again, choosing to say nothing when feelings are strong is trusting the Lord. Speaking and not speaking are both trusting the Lord if they are done out of love for the Lord and knowing He is in control.
The amazing thing about trusting the Lord is that even if circumstances don’t change, there can be progress.
A few summers ago I had the opportunity to do a high ropes course. This may sound super exciting to some of you but it brings waves of panic for me because I have a very strong fear of heights. Still, I was coaxed into trying.
I decided to attempt crossing a telephone pole hanging twenty feet up in the air. My thought was at least it will be solid beneath my feet not swaying like a rope would. None-the-less, the moment I reached the top of my climb I froze, I wanted to jump, to get this painful experience over with. As I stood there fighting with myself a voice from below started to give me directions. He said, “Slide your right foot to the right.” I obeyed. “Now slide your left foot to the right.” I obeyed. I wavered, almost fell, but regained my balance.
Again the voice directed me what to do. Another voice, actually it sounded like a crowd of voices was blaring in my head at that same time. Those voices were screaming, “I can’t!! No! Stop! I am going to fall!!” yet, again the voice from below broke through, move your right foot to the right. I realized if I focused on the voice telling me what to do the other voices were quieted. I could choose which voice to listen to.
Although the battle raged I continued moving, slowly, slowly, finally I reached the other side. I hugged the support pole. Now the battle picked up again, I wanted to stay in the embrace of that log forever, but that wasn’t reasonable, so I dialed into that voice that had guided me across the log. I chose to trust that voice to get me down from this snare that held me. I stepped away from the post and leaned out to fall to the safety of the ground below. Ground sweet ground, I was safe!
This has become a very clear picture to me of how I am to trust the Lord. I listen to Him and His Word, no matter what the world, others or my own head is telling me. I must make His voice my focus and then He will quiet the other voices. The other voices may not go away completely but His voice will be loudest if I choose to let it be.
So I challenge you all to trust the Lord. Trust Him, have your faith and actions work together. Believe the Lord will do what He says in His Word. Trust whether it means doing something or not doing something. Like James 2:22 says, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”