Learning to Trust God with Your Future
Written by Sandra Mueller
This past year and a half plus has been the closest thing to a trust exercise in my life as of late. I’m sure many of you feel that way, too. The uncertainty tied to the global pandemic has created a lot of stress in our collective lives. Uncertainty takes our trust in what is to come and throws a wrench in it. We don’t know, and that terrifies us.
How can we be trusting when nothing is really guaranteed anymore?
Let’s be real, though: we never knew. This pandemic just illuminated that. How can we be trusting when nothing is really guaranteed anymore? We need to remember what never changes. There is only one thing that never changes, and it’s not a thing. It’s God. The way we trust anything is trusting everything to God. It’s a simple statement, but not an easy one to live out. There is a challenge that comes with beginning to implement this—it means we have to rely on something other than ourselves, and that is no small feat.
I believe that in trying to accomplish this, a few things are necessary:
We believe God’s promises.
One of the first steps in building a relationship is learning to trust. How do we begin to trust each other? We look at a person’s words and actions. Are they trustworthy? Do they do what they say they’re going to do? Do they actually do it? Does it align? If they don’t, do they take responsibility for that? These are all key places to start in creating a foundation of trust. As a person’s character becomes clearer, it gives us the ability to trust them more and more. This is true with God, too. I encourage you to look through the Old Testament—it is full of promises fulfilled. God does what He says He will. It is incredibly helpful in moments of doubt to have a foundation of trusting God and His promises.
“The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” -Psalm 145:13
We acknowledge His past faithfulness.
When has God been faithful in the past? When has He fulfilled His promises to you? I remember early 2020 when I first moved to Boston. I was sure it was where God wanted me to be. Cue a lot of circumstances out of my control that left me in a situation I never expected to be in, and I doubted this was the right direction of my life, but God knew better and it all worked out for my good. I didn’t see it at the moment, but His hand was all over that season of my life. Recalling His past faithfulness helped me in those moments of doubt.
Are there parts of your life that don’t make sense right now? Do you not see how God could be working this out for your good? Remembering where he has shown up in the past allows us to survive the less ideal moments of life. It is also a gentle reminder that He will do it again.
“Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.” -Psalm 119:90
We study His word carefully.
Sometimes we forget that, as Christians, we aren’t promised a trouble-free life, but we are promised a good one. God’s word is full of things like this. What we may hope is from God may actually be a false pretense of this world. “God will make you happy” is not in God’s word. “God is okay if you gossip if the person deserves it” is also not something God has approved. We have to be careful of the truths we believe. If they’re not aligned with the Bible, we need to shift our thinking. It might require us to be intentional about incorporating the truth into our lives every day. Fighting the lies of the enemy is a daily discipline.
“He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’” -Luke 11:28
We seek Him, even when it doesn’t make sense.
There are times in life that feel far from God. Those times feel dry, weighty, maybe even like a waste of time. Let me let you in on a secret—being with God is never a waste of time. He is faithful to speak the truth we need to hear and remind us of our places in the world. It might feel like a chore to sit in God’s presence, especially in a season of suffering or one of busyness. Regardless of the reason, set aside time to be with Him. I guarantee you will trust Him more from it. The more you know someone, the easier it can be to trust them. How do we know God? Read and meditate on His word.
“You shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” -Joshua 1:8
We wrestle with Him.
There are times when it just doesn’t make sense. Why did God allow a global pandemic from which a huge number of people have died? God’s plans don’t always align with where we want to go. Our plans often don’t go together with God’s. As Kayla Ferris so eloquently said, “You might not like the ingredients going into your life right now. I get it. But I also know God knows what He’s doing. He has the power and the goodness to use all things and make them into something good.” In these moments when life feels extra tough and we don’t understand why God would allow this kind of suffering, wrestling with God is the way back to Him. It’s okay if you don’t have any answers. Being vulnerable and authentic with God about where you are in your faith/life journey is an important way to trust the future with Him.
“Then a man wrestled with him until daybreak.” -Genesis 32:24
We realize that doubt is not the enemy.
Doubt is a special thing. It’s honestly a healthy aspect of the Christian faith. Let me explain: You care. You care about your faith if you are doubting God. Doubt is not the enemy, complacency is. God can take your doubts; give them to him and see Him change your life.
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” -Mark 9:24
Finally, we let go and let God.
We are not God. We need to remember that. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our lives, but it is worth noting that they are not our own. God bought them at a price. For our freedom. To save us. So our future would be with Him. If nothing provides you any comfort other than this, just think about how God already ensured our future by sending Jesus. When the future doesn’t look bright or make a lot of sense, let go. I know it’s hard. Truly, I do. But when we leave it to the Creator, the best of life will be available to us.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” -Jeremiah 29:11
God is going to use you in beautiful ways. I hope that this helps remind you where our hope for the future is found. And why that is the best news.
We don’t need to be enough or perform for God’s love. His love already covers us, and as a good Father, His plans for our future are better than we could ever imagine. Let’s walk in that truth every day.
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