Trusting God

Trusting God is a funny thing. Making practical life decisions that at once uphold and rely on an unseen dimension is just not normal. To those who don’t believe in God it must be like watching someone prepare to sit down on a chair that isn’t there (would you shout a warning or get ready for a good laugh?). We know that we have a God who is a loving father, who has adopted us into his family, who cares about our lives, and who literally made and sustains everything in the world, so trusting him should be really easy, right?

I don’t know why but when I think of trusting God I go straight to the massive life- changing decisions, like when as a young Christian I worried that if I fully trusted God he’d send me to Siberia or Sudan because that was where he happened to have an opening - as though he’s running some kind of cosmic recruitment agency rather than inviting us into the expansive growth of his rule and reign on planet earth.

That’s the thing though; I know what I think I want and I trust God for that. Trusting him with changing my mind isn’t actually that easy at all, especially not if that leads to decisions that will limit my immediate comfort, reduce my material prosperity and curtail my career options. I recently left Perth and moved back to Ireland with my family. On one of my last Sundays at Kingscross we said this prayer together (emphasis mine):

General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

I was reminded that the point of God’s mercy and goodness to us is not so we can enjoy it and be happy and comfortable and carry on with our lives like the nine guys Jesus healed in Luke 17, but to be like the solitary one who came bouncing back full of praise and open to whatever comes next.

As Mr Beaver says to Susan of Aslan the lion, “Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you”. Trusting God is likewise not safe, but I know my King is good.