Do you trust God? I mean… do you really trust God?

The difference between the courageous follower of Christ and the average follower of Christ has nothing to do with fear. They both feel fear. The difference is trust.

Choosing to trust God in a difficult situation and seeing him prove himself faithful is what builds our courage to trust him the next time. The hard part is that we don’t often know how that faithfulness is going to play out when we’re experiencing fear. We have only a “right now” perspective, but God has the eternal perspective. Trusting is scary, but we have a great example. As Jesus was preparing to face the most difficult trial of his life on earth, he prayed an amazing prayer. He said: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

When you’re facing a trial, fear is natural. You can choose to try to control the situation, to manipulate the outcome, or even to run, but in those moments, trust is what draws us closer to God. It’s okay to pray to God and ask him to change your circumstances, but in the end, those who pray, “Not my will, but yours be done” experience the peace of God and grow closer to him. We must learn to trust God so that we may be restored through him.

Trial + Trust = Growth

Application

Draw a timeline of your life, marking the high and low points of your faith. What do the high points have in common? What do the low points have in common? Now that you’re on the far end of the timeline, think about how you’re still standing tall and moving forward. In your current situation—whether content or tumultuous—take a moment to consider how you might trust God to be your source of strength. For some, it’s thanks for overcoming the battles behind you and for others, it’s strength for the battles ahead.

Go Deeper Resources

If you’d like to learn more about God’s history of using tragedy for good, read Acts 6:1–15, Acts 7:51–60, and Acts 8:1–4. It’s the story of Stephen. It’s heart-wrenching, but what you’ll see is that the tragedy of the stoning of Stephen was one of the greatest turning points in the history of the church. It’s also the first time we’re introduced to a young Pharisee named Saul.