"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3: 5-6
Girl, if you are a Christian, then I'm sure you have heard this verse a thousand times. Oh and don't forget about the countless social media posts talking about "All I did was trust God and the end result was so beautiful!"
Don't get me wrong, I love seeing God work in other people's lives, and what He has planned for each individual person is nothing short of extraordinary. I wholeheartedly agree and believe that when you trust God and are obedient to His will the end result will in fact be beautiful.
...but what about those difficult moments when...
You may feel like you are constantly seeing God work in others' lives and then you take a look at your life and it's just... stagnant. Those moments when you're like "Okay, girl I see you and I'm happy for you, but what about me God?" or "God, I see what you've done for others, but..."
It's frustrating. Believe me, I know.
Do you know how many times that I wanted to give up? I kept on seeing all of this "good stuff" happening to other people, but it didn't seem like it was happening to me.
Oftentimes, when we have those thoughts of comparison, it is necessary for us to remember two things:
One, that social media is only a small glimpse into the worlds of other people; you only see what they want to see. Mary could be getting evicted the next day, but before that happens she gon' make sure you see the new Louis Vuitton bag that she spent her rent money on!
Just kidding, lol, I sincerely pray that no one would do that.
Second, and most importantly, we do not know what kind of trials that person had to endure or how long that it may have taken to receive those blessings.
We should also examine our current situations and ask ourselves the hard questions, such as, am I living a life that is obedient to the will of God?
You cannot expect God to bless you if you are being intentionally disobedient.
Imagine a small child who was playing with their ball in the house.
(It is important to note that this child has been told before by their parent that they are not allowed to play ball in the house because they may break something.)
So the child then proceeds to play ball in the house, against their parent's wishes, and breaks an expensive vase. Now, since that child knows what they did was wrong, do you think that they can still expect to get a lollipop for dessert?
No. They will not be rewarded because they broke the rules.
Using this same example, if the child was not told about the rules prior to this incident, in most cases, the parent will give the child grace and use this as a moment to teach the child and set boundaries, and inform them that if this happens again there is going to be consequences.
Now, that does not mean that their parent does not love the child anymore, it is the exact opposite. The parent loves their child so much that disciplining their child, and not giving them dessert will help them understand that in the future in order to get dessert, you have to follow the rules.
In this sense, the "rules" refer to being obedient to God's will. It is in our nature as humans to sin, because we are flawed; but that sin has since been forgiven. Because Jesus took all of God's wrath when He died, and God expects us to do our part and to be obedient to His will. When we fall short, He still loves us unconditionally, but when we are obedient to the will of God we open ourselves up to receive His blessings.
It is also crucial to note that, though we may be walking in total obedience to the Father, we may not see the fruit of His blessings right away. Remember earlier when I said that we should not make comparisons to other people's lives because we don't know what they had to endure to receive those blessings? That is where true devotion to God and trust come to play.
Scripture says in Jeremiah 17:7:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
When we put our confidence and trust in God, trials may come our way but He gives us the strength to endure difficult seasons of waiting.
THREE WAYS TO BUILD YOUR TRUST IN GOD
KNOW GOD'S WORD
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3: 16-17
Knowing God's Word is important for one's spiritual growth, and strengthening your trust in Him. When it comes to reading God's Word, I suggest starting in the Gospels, John, Mark, Luke, and then Matthew. You can really start anywhere, however, the Old Testament is easier to understand if the New Testament is read first. Spending time in God's Word will help you understand His character and loving-kindness. When we are fully able to comprehend who God really is, it helps us build our trust in Him.
HAVE FAITH
Faith, by definition, is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Hmm, interesting.
So if you have a friend who promises that she will go to the mall with you and you take her word for it and she shows up, wouldn't that strengthen your bond? That sounds about right to me because now you trust that she will keep her promises.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
- Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the assurance that the things revealed and promised in God's Word are true. For example, a daily food diet has different components that aid your body in providing a source of energy.
Your "spiritual diet" is the same way. Faith is the basic component in our spiritual diet to begin a relationship with God. Though we may not see those things happen right away, we can trust that what God promised us will come to pass.
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
Prayer is another crucial component of our "spiritual diets" and it helps you grow in your walk with God and feeds your faith.
It provides you with the strength to help you fight against the tactics of the devil (fear, anxiety, and worry).
As you go about your day, pray about everything. Romans 8:26-27 says that the Holy Spirit helps believers pray. When we cannot articulate what we may be trying to ask or tell the Father, the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf.
Prayer is like a diary that is used to express our heart's deepest desires, and only God has the key to unlock it.
- Tawonga Chilongo (via the Holy Spirit)
When we pray we are expressing our concerns to the One who created us. Think about your best friend, when you have a secret you trust that they will keep your secret private and help you through it.
God is no different, except when we express those secrets to Him, He helps us through them and sets us free from what may be keeping us in bondage.
Spend some time with God today and ask Him to show you the areas that you may need to improve upon and to help you overcome those obstacles. I pray that you trust the process as your Father begins to make you whole. 🤍
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