Trusting God Question(s)

[MystyRock]

Do we learn to trust God because we've first learned to trust people? Or by trusting God, do we learn to trust people more?

IF we say we trust God, what does this entail? IF we say we believe IN God, does that mean we trust God?

 

[BryanW92]

Do we learn to trust God because we've first learned to trust people? Or by trusting God, do we learn to trust people more?

IF we say we trust God, what does this entail? IF we say we believe IN God, does that mean we trust God?

Believing IN God is just accepting that He is there, and is something but maybe not what you think He is. Simply believing IN opens the door to any sort of false teaching or heresy.

You have to believe and to do that you must know what He has promised. Belief and trust can only come after you know what was promised because without the knowledge of what you trust, how can you really trust?

This is why bible study is so important. For the new Christian, we have to know what Jesus has promised. Stay in the gospels until you know everything he said (not memorized as if for a test, but burned into your heart. You may not be able to quote the bible, but you should be able to recognize a quote or parable so that you know its there and you can go look it up again.)

Then, you learn to trust what Jesus said and did as truth and not as allegory or metaphor or as a work of illustrative fiction or any of the things the secular world does to convince us that believing IN is good enough.

 

[Gods4Life4Ever]

Do we learn to trust God because we've first learned to trust people? Or by trusting God, do we learn to trust people more?

IF we say we trust God, what does this entail? IF we say we believe IN God, does that mean we trust God?

MystyRock,
I see a false dichotomy here.

We cannot learn to trust God by first trusting people, or we will be disappointed and end up not trusting people and therefore not trust God.

The one exception I can think of is that of a totally honest set of parents who taught their children that they are indeed totally trustworthy. That can then be translated to God as Heavenly Father.

I agree with BryanW92, that believing in is a far leap to trusting in.

My wife and I have "laid a fleece before the Lord" in times of confusion as to His will for us. It has always worked for our good. Other than an eisegeted text in Deuteronomy, which is specific in context, there are no prohibitions that I know of that tell us to not test God's grace and love for us.

Because God has always shown Himself to be trustworthy to us, we trust Him fully.

I believe that as we arrive at fully trusting God as Father, we can begin to trust people, not the other way around.

Blessings to you.

 

[CallingInTheDesert]

MystyRock,

I see true belief as the same thing as trusting.

If we say we believe something, we will trust what we are believing in and act on that belief fully, because we fully trust what we believe, because it is truth to us.

If someone says they believe something, but refuse to act on that belief, then it is not belief, but only knowledge of something that they haven't yet decided to trust as true.

Blessings
Mike

 

[Joshua0]

We cannot learn to trust God by first trusting people

Trusting God can be difficult and take time. At first I only trusted Him with a little bit that was not that important to me. Then over time I learned I could trust Him with more and more. He proved to be trustworthy and dependable. Of course my way of doing things was not working. So I did not have much to lose and I had everything to gain.

 

[GraceSeeker]

Do we learn to trust God because we've first learned to trust people? Or by trusting God, do we learn to trust people more?

As a practical matter, all that we initially learn about God is learned from our relationships with other people. This is why some people who have lived in abusive relationships with their father have trouble relating to God who is described as a father. But, on the other hand, once we learn that regardless how we may have been treated by people that God is trustworthy and faithful, it gives us a solid place from which to begin to take the risk with people once again.

IF we say we trust God, what does this entail?

The same as it does when we trust people -- opening one's self up to be vulnerable to and dependent on God and God's action in our lives.

IF we say we believe IN God, does that mean we trust God?

Yes.

 

[Zoness]

Do we learn to trust God because we've first learned to trust people? Or by trusting God, do we learn to trust people more?

IF we say we trust God, what does this entail? IF we say we believe IN God, does that mean we trust God?

Well at this rate, I will never trust God because I will never trust people. Guilty until proven innocent has been the safe way to go so far in life, I must say.

However, I don't know if this is mutually inclusive with "trusting God" or not. Though I think faith in the Christian God would amount to trust...you TRUST him not to atomize you into dust and send you to hell, you trust in the return of his son.

That must count for something, I'd think.

 

[MystyRock]

It's unfortunate that we let interactions with family and others define how we trust. People will disappoint us; humans aren't perfect.

Truly trusting in God requires a vulnerability and openness. Previous experiences do not make it easy for me to do this. I've been evaluating different beliefs, systems, ideas and it's caused me much restlessness. There is no middle ground - either for or against.

I choose to trust God. I've been reading my Bible and it sounds new and different. Same Bible I've had for years, but different now. I've changed, my perspective has changed. I'm still asking questions, but not to find loopholes or discrepancies. My questions are for learning and understanding.

 

[GraceSeeker]

I choose to trust God. I've been reading my Bible and it sounds new and different. Same Bible I've had for years, but different now. I've changed, my perspective has changed. I'm still asking questions, but not to find loopholes or discrepancies. My questions are for learning and understanding.

Very cool, Mysty. Very cool.

 

[MystyRock]

Trusting God - is this a decision we make each day? Today, I trust God to do what is best for me. What about the future? Matthew 6:34 says do not worry about tomorrow. Do we focus on today only?

 

[GraceSeeker]

Give us _____ ______ our daily bread.


Jesus taught this to people who quite literally didn't know where their next meal was coming from, it wasn't hyperbole like it is for so many of us.

 

[CallingInTheDesert]

In the Lord's prayer, where it says "give us this day our daily bread", the daily bread is not so much the physical bread to eat, it is the bread of life, which is Christ Himself. This is mainly meant as the spiritual bread (Word, Grace), and not the physical bread to fill our physical stomachs.

Either way, we need to depend on Christ everyday for our every need - spiritual or physical.

 

[MystyRock]

Trust God for today. Believe God will take care of us tomorrow. Does that mean we have Hope for tomorrow?

 

[GraceSeeker]

I don't know; do you have hope for tomorrow?

What does "HOPE" normally mean to you?

When you think about "tomorrow" do you feel anxious?

 

[MystyRock]

No. Don't necessarily feel anxious about tomorrow. Hope is looking forward to something that might or might not happen in the future.

If I hope for something, does that mean I don't really trust?

 

[GraceSeeker]

Actually, hope is trust.

The Greek word for trust is the very same as the Greek word for faith and believe -- pistes. The Greek word for help is elpis. The two words are related, and to help you see it, I have underlined the root of both words.

Hope is not wishing for something, it is trusting for the future something that you cannot see in the present but still have confidence is true.

 

[MystyRock]

Actually, hope is trust.

The Greek word for trust is the very same as the Greek word for faith and believe -- pistes. The Greek word for help is elpis. The two words are related, and to help you see it, I have underlined the root of both words.

Hope is not wishing for something, it is trusting for the future something that you cannot see in the present but still have confidence is true.

Hope - Trust - Faith - Belief. All intertwined? God gives us faith to believe, we have hope in Jesus and Trust Him with our present life and our future?

 

[GraceSeeker]

In the words of Professor Henry Higgins, "By Jove, I think she's got it!"

 

[MystyRock]

One down! But don't worry - I still have lots of other questions.