"...The Master he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’" [Luke 19:15-16, NIV]
How do you go trusting God? How much do you trust Him?
The above quote is part of a parable Jesus gives to illustrate how we're meant to live our lives before our God and King. Assumed in this parable, especially in the first two servants, is intrinsic trust of the Master.
Hearts secure
Is your heart secure in trusting Jesus, first and foremost?
Even this morning, I was freshly made aware by the Lord of how easily my heart defaults to trusting in myself, or others, or things first and foremost as my secure trust.
Contrast this tendency with the first two servants in the parable - by their actions they demonstrated intrinsic trust of their Master. There was no questioning, no self-justifying, no rebelliousness - there was secure trust that the Master was generous in his resourcing them, and good in his request of them. And so both servants acted securely and confidently in fulfilling the task that was entrusted to them with the resources that were entrusted to them.
Trust is essential
Trust is essential in any working relationship, family relationship, any friendship - in any fruitful interaction with others, fundamentally.
Where we don't trust those that we work with - we work independently or share ourselves and our resources very cautiously and begrudgingly.
When we don't trust those in our family - we hold family members at arms length.
When we don't trust our friends - our relationships have limited depth and strength.
How much more with Jesus. Do we trust that He has indeed been generous in resourcing our lives and that He is good and loving in the requests He makes of our lives?
Secure and strong
God knows our hearts are most secure and strong when we trust Him first and foremost.
The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah was led by God to call God's people to trust in God time and again:
‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’” [Isaiah 30:15, NIV]
God makes the way of salvation and strength plain - the way of trust - and thereby shows us that He is intrinsically trustworthy.
Temptation
And yet we struggle with being secure in the truth that God is intrinsically trustworthy. Why?
The struggle is as old as the temptation of the serpent in the Garden in Genesis 3. The serpent's chief way to drive a wedge between humans and God was by deceiving Adam & Eve into thinking God was not as trustworthy as He actually was in truth.
How to trust God to the point of transformation?
Isaiah is clear - there's a simple way to salvation and strength; trust God. The first two servants demonstrate in their actions the outworking of trust - wholehearted and fruitful obedience to the Master.
How do we get there?
Why not start today. In your praying and throughout your day:
Be honest - observe your thoughts and attitudes. Where do your thoughts run to, first, regarding your family? Your finances? Your future? Your friendships? etc. Where you are currently running in thought/ desire to anything other than God first - be honest and open with God about this. This is the act of confession - acknowledging where we are falling short of God's good design of us.
Be hopeful - God has not abandoned us in our hearts defaults and deceptions but given us a new heart in Jesus. Ezekiel 11:19 was and is fulfilled by faith in Jesus Christ. This is repentance - turning from our old hearts way of thinking to our new undivided hearts way of trusting in God.
Be habitual - if God is to be trusted first and foremost, then God must be considered and asked first and foremost. God must be sought first and foremost. God's ways must be studied and learnt first and foremost. This is believing - forging in His grace new patterns of thinking and attitude.
Building the habit of trusting God first and foremost into your 2020 year will transform your year into a year of salvation, strength and fulfilling activity. I'm believing God this will be your experience and I'm leaning into a year of greater trust with you! Bring on the transformation!
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