Total Trust: A Key Component to Faith
Recently, I’ve become very interested in finance, especially while reading Benjamin Graham’s incredible book, The Intelligent Investor. My goals as I became more interested in finance had realigned into essentially one large, but yet somewhat specific step: make money to serve Jesus. Working in finance could provide me with a very good opportunity to generate capital, which could act as a very useful tool to help serve Jesus in a way to bring Him into as many others’ lives as possible.
I can say that this plan began to harden in my mind. It began to solidify in the fact that I felt that I knew I would be doing something that really mattered — the one thing that really matters, which is bringing others to Jesus (see my post: The Biggest Picture). As I began to wrap my mind more and more around what seemed like this brilliant idea, something interesting seemed to occur.
When discussing this overall goal, I seemed to get upset, and I wasn’t sure why. I couldn’t explain how something like this amazing plan could make me feel like this. It didn’t make sense to me.
I was discussing this with my mom and became more upset than I ever had while discussing the topic, though I still couldn’t explain it. Then she said this statement, pulling an idea from a recent Craig Groeschel sermon: I was trying so hard to do God’s plan that I forgot to include Him in it. I was planning an inapplicable plan when I didn’t recognize I was missing the most important piece!
It’s impossible to love like Jesus when we try to love like Jesus without Him. This is exactly what happened to me. Proverbs 3:5–6 provides words that show what I did wrong, but also how to resolve the issues.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV
The first thing I did wrong was that I had fooled myself into thinking I was trusting in the Lord with all my heart, when I was leaning on my own understanding entirely. This realization was the first step in my own journey, that is of course still going on in my life, to place my trust completely in His authority without any hesitation. The second issue was that I was not submitting to Him, therefore my paths were not straight, and my own planning does nothing when there is no end to the winding path.
There is a single resolution that encompasses both of these issues, and it’s the most important thing to remember: By fully submitting to Jesus, we allow him to straighten the path — the path straight to Him. And that path is one where we can bring others with us, so they can share in knowing Jesus, once we fully submit to His will. Jesus has everything under control. We must give Him our total trust.
I know that it can be very hard to trust. As I continue throughout my life, please help me to realize that this life is out of my hands, and is in Your hands. I can do all of the planning in the world, even if it’s a plan that seems like a road to serve you, but when we forget to involve you in it, it’s impossible to live out your will. Help me to remember that it’s impossible to love like Jesus when we try to love like Jesus without You. Help us to instead choose to put our complete trust in You. Help me to submit in all my ways to You. Amen.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
