A Deficit of Trust

On several of his recent radio show broadcasts, talk show host Glenn Beck has partially attributed the recent economic meltdown in the U.S. to a deficit of trust. His theory, which I believe to have some merit, is that as recently as a few decades ago, someone's word was his/her bond, and any paperwork, contracts, or other evidence of that person's promise was more icing on the cake than anything else. Back then, people operated from a place of trust in assuming that a person, business, or even a government would keep its word. Now, we as a nation have unfortunately become the complete opposite. Because people generally distrust one another and have seen companies and institutions once thought to be invincible fail (GM, Citibank, etc.), they now attempt to substitute in the place of someone's word and honor a bunch of laws, paperwork, etc. Then, to add to the vicious cycle of cynicism and mistrust, many people use the legal system and the courts in an attempt to rig the outcome in their favor when the (what they see as likely or inevitable) breach of someone's word or failure of an agreement occurs. In addition to economic stagnation, such distrust leads us to experience mass quantities of stress and a lack of rest.

I wondered how such a trend might be relevant in the spiritual realm, and then I came across this blog post from Pastor Rice Broocks at Bethel World Outreach Center (full disclosure: I am a member of this church). On Day 38 of his "40 Days of Faith" podcast/blog series, Pastor Rice offers this simple, yet profound insight:

"Any time I find myself lacking in the peace and rest that God promises, it's because I have fallen short in trusting the Lord. Trust brings us into rest. Children can sleep soundly at night because they believe their parents can protect them and keep them safe. In a greater way, our Heavenly Father is watching over us."

This simple truth hit me like a ton of bricks. Much of how life turns out depends on who God is to us and what we believe about Him. If we believe he is an angry parent/deity wagging his finger at us from a thousand years ago threatening to spank us if we misbehave, rest and peace will prove forever elusive. Not only are we all fallen, fallible humans who can never be perfect, it is impossible to trust or make sense of a deity who claims to be perfect while acting like the angry, rigid disciplinarian of a human father that far too many children experienced growing up. If, on the other hand, we believe that God is a loving father who desires the best for us, who longs to give us the desires of our hearts according to His promises and love for us, and who is rich in mercy and quick to forgive our mistakes and shortcomings, it is much easier to trust that God and to experience the peaceful rest He promises.

I spent far too long in my own life thinking of God as a merciless sadist who enjoyed watching the suffering I had "earned" as a result of my sins and shortcomings. That was a hard, disillusioning way to live. In the Bible, Paul didn't ask God for riches, glory, or anything of the sort...he asked God for the grace and patience to be content no matter his circumstances. God doesn't promise us an easy road when we walk with Him, but he does promise us love, that he wants the best for us, and that our salvation is assured. The circumstances of my life have seen both ebb and flow, but now, because I know God's heart and how great He is, I don't get too high (and think more of myself than I should) or too low (and condemn myself where God refuses to). That change in perspective has made rest and peace much easier for me to come by, and I would recommend it to anyone.