Trust: Something Even Toddlers and Puppies Understand

When was the last time you saw a toddler obviously worrying about what mom or dad was going to do? Or a puppy sitting in its bed, stewing over what decisions its owner might make? Probably never, because trust is something that comes naturally to children and little pets – at least until that trust is broken, and even then it usually has to happen multiple times.

So why do we have so much trouble trusting in God, putting our faith into action? We can argue that toddlers and puppies have very simplistic thinking. They don’t know how the trust placed in people can be betrayed, how lofty illusions can be shattered. And having learned that through difficult life experiences, we transfer our acquired skepticism to the Lord.

 

And yet, trusting God regardless of the circumstances is one of the hallmarks of a walk of faith. My life verse (actually two verses) is Proverbs 3:5-6, “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 your paths straight.” I can’t tell you how many times I clung to that passage, desperately trusting in the Lord and His direction, especially when the outcome of what I was struggling with at the time was very much in doubt.

 

We live in perilous, unprecedented times. For those of us who had become nestled in our cozy little comfort zones, the uncertainty of the current chaos has been more than unsettling. Those things we did place our trust in – our routines, resources and everyday rhythms – have been turned upside-down, leaving us frustrated at best, fearful and filled with foreboding at worst.

 

But the good news is, what a wonderful time for trusting in the One that is unchanging, always faithful and never failing: the Lord, Jehovah God, Yahweh. The Scriptures repeatedly exhort us to do this, to trust Him when circumstances seem dark, uncertain and discouraging. 

 

A good friend used to tell men he was mentoring when they came to him with tales of woe, “You’re in a great position!” By this he meant that once they had exhausted every option they could think of, when their own efforts to solve their problems had fallen short, they were finally at a point when they had no alternative but to trust God. 

 

Another favorite passage affirms the importance – the utter necessity – of trusting God, even when He doesn’t respond according to our timetable and often in ways different than we had expected or hoped: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:2-7).

 

Of course, developing such trust isn’t automatic; it’s certainly not easy. Even if we reflect on wonderful things the Lord has done for us in the past, it’s not uncommon to take an attitude of, “Yeah, but what have You done for me lately?”

 

But experience – trusting God in small things, then bigger ones, seeing how incredibly He worked in and through our circumstances, often in ways we could never have envisioned – can serve as a great asset as we seek to trust Him in new and unfamiliar developments and dilemmas.

 

Later in the psalm, the writer King David observes, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; although he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:23-25). What an incredible assertion, particularly when external forces cause us to doubt.

 

What has you anxious today? What keeps you awake at night? You might be thinking, “Don’t get me started!” Yes, from the unrelenting cries of “the sky is falling” we receive daily from the media to the inevitable challenges we face in our families and our homes, we have many worrisome things from which to choose. But this is why we need to rest in the promises we find in the Scriptures, trusting that out of the chaos God will create something beautiful and blessed.

 

As He was concluding His earthly ministry, Jesus gave His followers this assurance: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). In the Scriptures we find, so many times that it’s impossible to overlook, God’s central promise: “Trust Me.” I don’t know about you, but I need this reminder today.

Being Found Worthy of Trust

We see the principle in action in virtually every field of endeavor: An eager young worker starts a new job and is asked to perform menial tasks, even though he or she may be educated and qualified for much more. Over time their performance is evaluated and, based on how well they’ve done lesser jobs, they get promoted and assigned greater responsibilities.

Football season has ended – for some, mercifully so – but we see the principle in action every Friday night, Saturday or Sunday: New players get relegated to the second or third team. When they prove able, they advance to special teams – the various kicking squads – where they can show their mettle. Those that demonstrate the energy, discipline and hard-nosed determination coaches desire will eventually find themselves moved into the starting lineups.

In school, a boy or girl is awarded special responsibilities after demonstrating both scholarship and character in the classroom. Even in church the principle applies. A newcomer to the sanctuary choir, for example, doesn’t arrive and announce, “Hi, I’m your new soloist.” He or she takes part in the full choir, displays vocal talent, and then, and only then, becomes invited to sing in a solo capacity.

What is this principle? It’s found in the Scriptures: "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted in much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much" (Luke 16:10). I like how the Bible’s Living Translation of states it: “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.”

Why is this important? Well, for one thing it’s a Presidential election year and we’ll soon be electing someone to lead our nation for the next four years, starting next January. How do we decide for whom we should vote?

For some, the decision is predetermined: “I’m a Democrat, so I vote for the Democratic candidate,” or “I’m a Republican, so of course I’ll vote for whoever gets on the Republican ticket.” Others will cast their ballots strictly according to promises made by the respective candidates and who they as voters believe will benefit them the most.

But I wonder, in a day when questions of character seem largely ignored or minimized, if we might be wise to revisit what Jesus taught in Luke 16:10, as well as Matthew 24:45-51, Matthew 25:14-30, and Luke 19:11-27. It’s the idea that the best predictor of future behavior is past performance, and that worthiness for greater responsibilities should be determined by how well lesser responsibilities were carried out.

I remember as a teenager getting my first job in a supermarket. My first assignments were to sack groceries, sweep and mop the floor, including cleaning up messes when customers dropped a jar of tomato sauce, honey, or whatever. (That was before plastic jars became commonplace, so the messes were considerable.)

After proving willing and able to do those jobs, I then was assigned the task of joining the other grocery clerks in stocking the shelves. And eventually, when I worked on a night crew during the summer (again, these were the “olden days” before 24-hour supermarkets), I was entrusted with the oversight of an entire aisle – ordering products, as well as stocking the shelves and making sure they looked orderly when the store reopened and eager shoppers returned.

At first I was trusted with very little. In some respects this work seemed insignificant, even bothersome. I viewed myself as a smart, energetic guy, suited for better, more challenging tasks. But once I successfully fulfilled my “very little” assignments, I was given greater ones.

As voters surveying the array of potential candidates, not only for President but also for Congress and even state and local offices, wouldn’t it make sense for us to apply this “faithful in little then faithful in much, but if unfaithful or dishonest in little, then unfaithful or dishonest in much” principle at the polls months from now? Keeping in mind, of course, that honesty and dishonesty, integrity and unethical behavior, are non-partisan as virtues, traits, and red flags?

Taking the discussion beyond the political arena, this passage should challenge us all, even if we never aspire to public office. Do we dream of greater things, maybe a better job, higher compensation, or more authority in our sphere of influence? Or possibly we'd like to be used by God to have more impact for His kingdom. Our intentions might be noble and pure, but first things first: Show ourselves to be faithful in little things, so we can then prove ourselves capable of being faithful with bigger things.

A Matter of Testing and Trusting

Have you seen those team building exercises some companies use where staff members line up in two parallel rows while a colleague turns his or her back to them, and then drops backward, trusting the group to catch them before they hit terra firma?

I’ve never tried this – I think the back of my head is allergic to smacking the ground. But it’s an interesting test of trust. “Do I really trust these guys to catch me before I fracture my skull?” “Will Josh say, ‘Oops!’ and let me slip through his hands because of our disagreement last week?”

This definitely isn’t something you’d want to attempt with a group of strangers you have no reason to trust. They might think it’s hilarious to watch you bonk your head. But even with people you know, it’s preferable to have a trusting relationship established before you put it to the test. Do they like you? Are they reliable? Are they strong enough to catch you?

Which raises an interesting consideration: Do you find these folks trustworthy because you’ve already put their trust to the test? Or do you try to establish trustworthiness first before testing it?

In some respects, it’s probably both. The initial time we fly on a jet, we can’t know from personal experience the aircraft will get us there safely. But we know jets do fly, and most of them do arrive at their destinations without problems. And we generally place our trust in established airlines with strong safety records. Which is why if you’re wanting to give away frequent flyer miles on Malaysia Airlines, I’m not interested. No thanks.

Marriage is another of those trust-then-test endeavors. Everyone exchanges vows with idealistic sparkles in their eyes: “He’s going to make me so happy!” “She’s going to be everything I ever dreamed!” Uh, maybe – maybe not. Months or years later, couples often think, “Sure, I said for better or worse – but I didn’t know it was going to be this worse!” They start off with unlimited, unquestioning trust, but when put to the test, it falls short of their expectations.

Faith in God can be both trust-then-test and test-then-trust. Years ago I had a skeptical friend that liked the idea of having a God he could rely on to guide his business, but didn’t assume the Bible was true. Basically, his attitude was, “God, if I’m supposed to believe in You and what the Bible says, prove it.”

Bill would arrive at the weekly prayer meeting with a list of prayer requests, usually about some project or problems he was dealing with at his company. He’d ask the other men in the group to pray for his needs, then report the following week on if and how the prayers had been answered.

Finally, after testing both God and biblical principles in how he operated his company, Bill committed his life to Jesus Christ, concluding both God and the Bible could be trusted.

This approach worked for Bill, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Only one place in the Scriptures does God authorize His followers to put Him to the test. After instructing believers to bring the tithe (God’s portion of their resources) to the temple to provide for those in need, He says, “Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10).

Here God invites His people to give freely, assuring them He can more than make up for what they have generously contributed for helping meet the needs of others. But in most instances, the Scriptures urge us to trust first and then discover the Lord indeed is worthy of that trust.

Years ago I adopted a passage I consider my “life verse” – Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “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 direct your paths.”

Over the years, more times than I could ever recount, this promise has proved true in facing a variety of personal and professional needs: Career direction, marriage and family challenges, financial struggles, health issues, unexpected emergencies. Many times I’d run out of options and had idea what to do next. At such times, often in ways far beyond my understanding, God provided direction and the answers we needed.

Another verse makes a similar declaration: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:5). Sometimes we don’t see God at work in our lives because we’re not truly committed to Him and refuse to trust Him. That doesn’t mean He won’t respond to our needs, but when we turn to Him in trust – what the Bible calls “childlike faith” – then He eagerly responds and says, “Now watch and see what I can do.”

What – or who – are you trusting in today?

The Faith of a Child – for Adults

As the official start of spring approaches, here’s a warm-weather image – especially for those of you who have endured much of the winter up to your eyeballs in snow and ice.

Picture a small boy or girl, not more than two years old, standing at the edge of a sun-drenched community pool. Daddy’s in the pool with arms extended, encouraging tiny Jimmy or Jill to dive in, promising to catch the little leaper. A bit wary, the child finally casts caution aside and makes the jump toward the inviting water. As promised, Daddy grabs mini-person and holds on securely.

Why does the child do it? Jumping into water over your head is dangerous when you can’t swim. What if the child slips through the father’s grasp and goes underwater? Or what if Daddy decides not to catch the little one? There’s just one reason the child does it: Childlike faith.

Little Jimmy or Jill might not jump into the arms of a complete stranger. Hopefully they won’t. But they know Daddy. A relationship has been established, built on love and trust. If Daddy asks them to jump, there’s no reason for fear. And they don’t have to stop and calculate the various risks – all they know is Daddy is totally reliable. He keeps his promises. There’s nothing to worry about. So they jump. And most likely, throughout the summer they will jump again, again and again.

On numerous occasions, Jesus talked about the faith of a child. He told His followers, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Luke 18:16-17).

Another time Jesus used a child for show-and-tell: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2-4).

Like a little girl hurling herself off the edge of a pool into a parent’s waiting arms, without gathering statistical evidence to confirm the likelihood of mom or dad successfully catching her, God calls us to exercise similar faith in committing to Him.

That doesn’t mean throwing all reason aside. Faith in Jesus Christ doesn’t require mindless, unquestioning commitment. God isn’t intimidated by our doubts and questions. They’re actually helpful in the process of spiritual growth.

At the same time, faith involves a willingness to proceed in trust when we being asked to venture into the unknown. Just as jumping into a pool amounts to a literal leap of faith for a toddler, many times God asks His spiritual children to take leaps of faith.

The first “leap” is receiving the gift of salvation Christ offers, accepting His death on the cross as the only possible atonement for the forgiveness of our sins. But that’s just one of many occasions when, like the trusting child, we must proceed even when the way seems unclear or uncertain.

That’s been the case several times in my career, changing jobs and moving my family as God directed. Sometimes He calls us to perform acts of charitable generosity that don’t make sense from a financial standpoint. “Put the calculator away,” God says. “Just do what I ask – and trust Me to more than make up the difference.”

There are countless other ways our heavenly Father asks us to follow Him with childlike faith, when “common sense” urges us otherwise. That’s why Proverbs 3:5-6 has become so dear to me over the years. “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 your paths straight.”

Many times my “own understanding” raised red flags, cautioning, “You don’t want to do that – that’s silly.” But then God said, “Trust Me. I know exactly what I’m doing.” Thankfully, He’s shown that to be true more times than I could ever remember.

As adults we want to be “sophisticated,” relying on logic and reason. We prefer to walk by sight and not by faith, feeling too “grown up” for spiritual intangibles. But ultimately, that’s what faith is all about. It’s “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Another translation says it’s “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

For the little child at pool’s edge, staring at Daddy’s outreached hands, the leap forward isn’t based on hope-so but confident assurance, never doubting the parent will do as promised. God desires the same childlike trust from us. It’s like He’s saying, “Child, you’ve trusted Me before and I’ve always come through for you. Why would I stop doing that now?”