Kingdom Trust

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Faith can often be understood in terms of trust. Faith is more than just belief, more than just knowledge, it's a deep understanding and connection that leads you to action. Faith expresses itself in various ways. A faithful person has a few tendencies we associate with Christians. You might describe a person that studies a lot, or prays a lot, or worships a lot as a person that is faithful. Maybe if you see a person living a life of good deeds, or a quiet life free of unnecessary drama you would consider them to be faithful. These sorts of manifestations of faith are the result of the individual trusting in the Lord to take care of the future. Someone like this might not be so concerned with or caught up in the fear of what's next that is so prevalent in our society today. Someone like this seems to have this almost mystical quality about them that you just kind of scratch your head and ask yourself, "How do they do it?!?"

Trust is a hard thing to manage in the anxious mind. Anxiety, worry, fear, and doubt, these things sometimes show a lack of trust. Jesus, in Matthew chapter 6, brings to His listeners a serious challenge. Many of them were poor, hungy, and without certainty as to where their next meal would come from or where they might sleep that night. Jesus challenges them not to let worry control their thoughts. We might say they had a lot to worry about, especially if they didn't have these basic necessities. But Jesus pushes them, and us, to trust.

Trusting in God doesn't mean we are careless, or that we don't use the skills and abilities He has given us to provide for ourselves and our families. No, it means just that: trust. Fear, doubt, and worry: these are not welcome in our thoughts. Instead, trust tells us that the Lord will provide our needs. Sometimes, we might have a hard time seeing what's right in front of us and we just quite haven't figured out how to see the path God has laid out for us. In these times, the Bible teaches us to pray: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). When we just don't know what to do or where to turn, the Bible teaches us to pray: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6). 

When we want to trust, but we just aren't sure or don't know, the Bible teaches us to pray: "The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”" (Luke 17:5).