This feels like a series beginning to start. One of the things God has brought to life for Tara and me throughout our journey to full-time missions is Proverbs 3. Familiar verses to most Christians are verses 5 and 6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
I have all too often talked about trusting God but lived differently. The things that gave me security were my marriage, my job, my friends, my opinions, my brain, my things. And, what I realize now was evidence of this was how little time I spent asking God what I should be about. I really didn’t seek to follow Him with my life. When I had troubles or difficulties rather than asking God why or how to deal with them I generally “solved” the trouble myself.
Occasionally I get headaches that are nearly show stopping. They are migraine-like in that light intensifies them and my self-centered irritability almost effortlessly reveals itself. In those moments when pain-filled minutes seem like millenia I will analyze whether I’ve had enough caffeine, what I’ve eaten, and whether I can figure out a way to insert a nap into my day. I’ll look for the nearest ibuprofen bottle and drink a coke. I’ll turn out lights, turn off the radio and take deep breaths. But, almost never are my first, second, or even later thoughts, unless the pain is absolutely debilitating, to ask God what I should do. Nope. Instead of trusting in the Lord I will trust in coffee, a pill, rest, will power.
I’m not trying to say that if I would only pray God would take the pain away. Nor am I saying that God might not direct my feet to the nearest bed or medicine cabinet. But I am saying that all too often, in every day ways, I am far from dependent on the One I call Lord.
I will never forget a statement in Bill Hybel’s book, Too Busy Not to Pray. 
He wrote that Jesus lived the most dynamic life ever because He lived the most dependent life. He truly knew what it was to trust in the Lord with all His heart. And, if the One Who was and is God demonstrated how important it is for us humans to trust in God, then clearly I must do so. I often throw up the excuse, but does God really expect me to freeze in indecision on every step of the way of life, asking Him constantly for direction? I know that He tells me to rejoice always, be thankful always, and to pray without ceasing. And I know that my mind never stops analyzing and talking to myself anyway; why shouldn’t I, given that we know what God’s will is (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), let Him transform our minds into a constant acknowledgment of His direction in our lives (Romans 12:1-2 and Proverbs 3:6)?
As you walk through this next couple of days, think about the things you trust in and whether you are finding your security in the One who gives you those things or the things themselves. I’d love it if you shared how it goes here.
