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Hope and Trust

Jesus! The name that charms our fears,

That bids our sorrows cease;

’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,

’Tis life and health and peace.

—Charles Wesley

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines trust as “an attitude we have toward people whom we hope will be trustworthy.” Using this definition, it’s fair to say that Charles Wesley’s and most Christians’ attitudes toward Jesus are that of hope-filled trust.

Still, the future can feel like a scary, unknowable place. We can’t know for sure what will happen next. Or how our friends, families, or leaders will act. We might plan to go to college, only for the financial aid to fall through. Or vacation plans may end up ruined because of an unexpected storm. Or far, far worse.

We live in a world where trust isn’t easy. Instead of trusting others, we might try to control every outcome, avoid commitment, and hold back the vulnerable parts of ourselves. Or we might choose another kind of false control: apathy. We might think that if we just don’t try, trust, or care, then we can’t be let down.

Living without trust can be tempting, but it sure makes it difficult to follow Jesus.

God entrusts His creation to humans. He trusted a young woman and a carpenter to parent His only Son. Jesus asked fishermen to give up their day jobs and follow Him. Then He invited Peter to trust Him enough to follow Him onto the water on foot. He asked His followers to trust each other enough to travel in pairs without extra clothes or food. Finally, Jesus trusts us, His body, to love this world as He does.

The next time disappointment causes your trust in God to slip and your attitude to falter, remember that trust requires hope. In a letter written from prison to the believers in Rome, Paul reminds us that hope is produced by character, which comes from endurance, an outcome of suffering.

Pray: God, as I walk through the storms in life, help me focus my thoughts and attitude on Jesus. Keep my eyes on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Form in me endurance, character, and hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.