In What Do We Trust?

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

Psalms 146:3 (NIV)

                On the back of a dollar bill, printed in bold letters, it states, “In God we trust.” But do we really? More and more we are moving away from putting our trust in God and we are putting it in other things.

                Many people are putting their trust in a political system. They see the hope for the future wrapped up in their political party being able to push forward its particular agenda. Many expect the government to solve all of their problems for them. As we have seen in other countries, putting our trust in a political system is risky. Our own system seems to be broken; unable to really address the issues before us with some sense of decorum and moral rectitude.

                Many people are putting their trust in the almighty dollar rather than the Almighty. They live and die by the mood swings of the stock market. If their stock portfolio is doing well, they feel confident and secure. If it isn’t, they feel anxious and worried.

                Many people are putting their trust in science. We have been told that science has all of the answers to life. Science has become the final authority. If science and faith conflict, science wins. People trust science to solve all the human ills that confront us. They expect science to give us all the answers to the big questions of life.

                Many people are putting their trust in spirituality and religion. At a time when established religion is under heavy fire, spirituality and do-it-yourself religion are booming. People have become very comfortable playing the mix and match game with their theology. They cherry pick the ideas and concepts that they like from each religious source and then combine them together in a personalized hybrid.

                The Bible is very clear that all of these paths are dead ends. The kind of security that they can give is only temporary. It will not stand up under the extreme challenges of life.  They are all forms of self-deception that blind people to real truth found in Jesus Christ. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

                The Apostle Paul warned us that this is the pathway mankind was on. Long before Wall Street, Washington and the New Age movement, Paul could see the shift away from trusting God to trusting lesser things. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25 (NIV)

                The Psalmist warns us not to put our trust in those things that seem so powerful to us. Instead, we need to put our trust in the one who created all of these things. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever. Psalms 146:3-6 (NIV)

                What does it mean for us to put our trust in God? First, it begins with acknowledging that God exists as a personal being, not just some cosmic force. Hebrews tells us that without this firm conviction we can never truly encounter God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

                Trusting God is more than just believing in a god. It also means accepting the reality that God loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us. That relationship is possible through Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 (NIV)

                Trusting in God is living according to his rules; allowing Him to direct our life. It is human nature to rebel against rules; especially rules that we think are unfair. Yet, often, it is those very rules that keep us safe and are our best guide. Our city recently installed a roundabout on a busy street. A roundabout has specific rules for how you are to pass through it. One of those rules is that everyone drives around the circle in the same direction. One day I came up to the roundabout and found a driver going the wrong way. That driver had to go around a barrier to do it. By disregarding the rules, they put themselves and others in danger.

                God created us in His image. He designed us to reflect His glory in the world. He desires that we would live full, enriched and empowered lives. We can only do that when we live according to God’s design. If we choose to go around the barriers and go our own way, we endanger ourselves and others. Jesus didn’t come into the world to take away all of our fun. He came to give us life. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

                We too easily put our trust in things that seem solid to us. But those “solid” things are only temporary and will soon pass away. The only truly solid stance we can take is to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)