Trusting God

Have you ever noticed how people tend to trust God if He is doing what they think He should be doing? I have encountered some people lately that get mad if you follow a Jesus who is not like the Jesus they follow? There is only one Jesus and the one we follow is the one that we perceive or understand with our minds, hearts and bodies.

Now there are some who say they follow the "Jesus of the Bible" but even though we devour the Bible for understanding and revelation, we still filter that knowledge through ourselves. The point is that we must come to "trust in God" more than we trust in ourselves. To do this we must come to trust others more and more. This is quite contrary to the way modern man lives. For we are very content on judging others, evaluating them and using them to meet our needs or establish our identity. Who will trust God so much that they will trust others?

Our church meetings reflect great levels of un-trust. We make manuals and give detailed profiles on how to greet people at the door, pray with the sick, take up the offering and even worship in public. When did "equip the saints" come to mean "teach them our way of doing things"? But you are required to do this or someone is going to screw everything up by "paying cash rather than using their visa". People get mad when creativity is not controlled.

Well enough of that, the point is not to focus on what corrections are needed, but to actually trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. Here is a list to help us practice our faith.
1. Act as if others know something that you do not.
2. Act as if what they know is beneficial and not worthless or simplistic.
3. Acknowledge that although you are well read and have studied, you could still be wrong. You know, you could be like all those authors that you disagree with.
4. Remind yourself daily that, "you don't know what you don't know."
5. Learn to listen. Listening is not arguing and counter reasoning when another is talking. Critical thinking is good, but how much do you actually listen?
6. Practice not saying anything. Being slow to speak can help the heart learn.
7. Be teachable. Being teachable is a form to humility. True humility will end in honor.
8. Now here is a mystical paradox. Be 100% confident in knowing what you know by trusting the Lord. Have boldness and assurance as you live your life. Knowing that you can trust in God.