Learn - "Just Trust God"?

Christian cliche, brace yourself... YOU'RE GOIN' DOWN!

Odds are, if you clicked on this post, you've heard this phrase countless times. Heck, you've probably used it several times yourself. Chances are also that you've heard it used in ways that, at the very least, made you a tad uncomfortable.

"Just Trust God"

So am I about to argue against trusting God? Nope. The statement above would be agreeable if it wasn't for the way we add that "just" onto the idea of trusting God, which reveals how we abuse the truthful and Biblical concept of trusting God. It implies that there is nothing else, only a trust for God. This is often used to imply no sadness, or no action.

First off, it seems that Christians who use this phrase often imply no fear or sadness. Sadness doesn't imply a lack of trust for God. People who trust God are still emotionally distressed. Otherwise, Jesus probably wouldn't have been trusting in God (himself?) at all when his "sweat became like great drops of blood" from his anguish (Luke 22:44). Even God himself grieves according to scripture (Genesis 6:6). While sadness can spring out of not trusting God, it can also be very present in those who trust him. Be sure not to judge people's walk with God by their poorness or richness in spirit, like the Pharisees judged people by their financial poorness or richness.

Another way Christians seem to use "just trust God" is to imply a lack of action. People are treated as if them acting means they trust their action more than God, and truly trusting him would be sitting back and watching him work. Yet, we have a Bible full of stories about people who trusted God, but they didn't just trust God; they also acted. Scripture's heroes were men and women of action. They pray (an action in itself), and the they seek the results they (and God) desire.

We are even inconsistent in our use of this idea (based on whatever is the popular way to use the concept). We'll treat some things as worthy of trust with action ("Trust God to help you find food/a job."), yet other things are unacceptable all together ("Don't be sad! Just trust God!" and "Stop seeking people to fill your emotional needs! You just need to trust God!"). Why can't we trust God and still seek the things we desire and even need? Are our actions and trust truly incompatible? I don't think so.

There are people who act in the place of God because they don't trust him, which is where these ideas have rooted from, but trust and action are not incompatible. So then, what does a believer look like when trusting God? I think the lesson boils down to this:

Trusting God doesn't mean he does all the work. Trusting God means he's the boss.

When we trust God, we still act. In fact, trusting him often leads to action. However, we act how he desires us to, not out of a fear that we won't achieve our desired results if we don't act. Sometimes, too, trusting him does mean being still (Psalms 46:10). Yet the fact that our Bible, which commands us to trust God, also gives commands for action and tells stories of the faithful acting, gives us good reason to accept that trusting God usually includes an action. If you still aren't convinced that trust isn't accompanied by action, check out the book of James, which talks about how faith is accompanied by works.

Be sure to second-guess your use of "just trust God" the next time you talk with someone who's sad or seeking to meet a need of theirs. The faithful hurt and the faithful act.

Also...
...There's one other way we use this phrase, and it's much worse. We sometimes use it as an excuse not to help people. We see others in need, and we have the resources, but instead we tell them to "just trust God." If God will provide, why should we? You can read a bit more about my opinions on helping those in need here.