Who can we trust?

It has now been a couple of weeks since we watched our elected officials grapple with whether the President of the United States should be impeached for a second time. No matter which side you fell on regarding this decision, I found myself asking these questions. Was it true that the constitution does not allow for an impeachment after they leave office? Did the President know folks were coming to storm the Capitol? Was this just done because the Democrats wanted one more shot at Mr. Trump? Were the news outlets reporting objectively or was their desire to just sell more advertising?
These questions led me back to my main question, Who can we trust? We all have people in our lives that we think we know and to whom we can depend. This was further compounded for me when I heard about two strong Christian leaders who were living sinful private lives while leading thousands to and in their faith journeys. I was saddened to hear this had happened but was not surprised. Why? Because, like many leaders in the bible and like most of us, they fell prey to the things of the world. The end result is, should we choose to place our trust in man, we will ultimately be disappointed. Nor, can our family, friends, and colleagues truly trust us as we will make mistakes as well. The Bible makes it clear in Romans 3:23 that ALL not some “sin and therefore fall short of the glory of God” Meaning, people will disappoint us and we will disappoint others. It also means that there is no one we can truly trust except for God.

So what is the answer? It is that at the end of the day, we are only responsible for ourselves. I don’t mean this in a selfish, “it’s all about me way”. Quite the opposite. we need to have an attitude that no matter what comes our way, no matter how someone else wrongs us, how we respond is the choice we get to make. God exhorts us to “turn the other cheek”. He says “love others as I have loved you.”

It is all about to what are you tethered? Is it to the world or to the One who created you and knows how you best should live. I wrote about this concept a while back. Here is the link https://thankfulinallthings.com/to-what-are-you-tethered/

So how do we do it? If you have been reading my blog, you know Andrew Murray says it happens when we “Abide in Christ” like branches cling to the vine. Gregory Boyd in Present Perfect says we need to remind ourselves that “God is in the Now”. He goes on to say when we strive to honor Him the we can trust in the outcome. When we allow ourselves to detach from God’s presence thinking we can live life on our own power, like a branch, without the vine’s nourishment, like the faith leaders who lost their way, we lose our strength and the ability to live as we were meant to live. Charles Stanley says another way to think of it is to stop and wait. “The word wait has a different sense here—it means “pause for further instructions.” It’s not passivity; rather, we must choose to stop our actions and listen for God’s directive. Sometimes the Lord is silent for a season, but He has a purpose. He knows the perfect time for us to act, and until that moment, He wants us to wait. More strength and character are required to be still in the midst of a storm than to frantically seek our own solution.” May we all go out into our worlds acknowledging our desire to do things under our own power. When we do, the only one we can truly trust, promises to make us strong enough to persevere through whatever challenges or disappointments that come our way. Allowing us to remain “thankful in all things”.

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We are no doubt in a crisis, how are you responding

Thanks to my son, I heard a great sermon by Carl Lentz-https://youtu.be/cx9bT9LGwZA He shared about three friends who were held up at gun point. He used what happened to share this Palm Sunday pressure message. “When faced w a crisis one can do 4 things. 1) Freak out, 2) Freeze up, 3)Flee…or 4) Face it head on with the faith God has given us to trust Him with the outcome.”  My question today is “How are you dealing with the challenges of Covid-19?”

As you know, I have written about choices in other entries here and that we all need to take our own responsibility for what our attitude looks like. Each of us has the opportunity to be a true champion. Doing what it takes to be one, no matter whether it is home, at work, or striving to make a difference in our every day world. It takes us having a PRIDE in how we live our lives no matter what obstacles we face. I think of pride as being Personally Responsible for our Individual Daily Effort. It is a matter of chose. It is always a matter of chose. ThankS to many of you for being real life examples of choosing hope vs despair, trust vs fear, gratitude vs wantedness. You are figuring out the How because you know Who provides the strength to see the  Joy through the sorrow As Psalm 30:5 says,”Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.“

Our identity has been shaken because of Covid-19. We are asking, “do I really trust God with the outcome? Will me and my family get through this OK? Why am I feeling anxiety? We need to look back to look forward. The Bible uses the word remember 130 times in the Old Testament and more than 30 times in the New. So, remind yourself from where does help come. Psalm 121:1 “ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord,the Maker of heaven and earth..” Be encouraged that He wants to clothe us with a new identity. One that restores to us the abundant life he has always wanted for us. As we face whatever crisis you face due to COVID-19, may we look for a fresh revelation of his love for us. Allow it to guide you into greater depths of faith. Remembering out of adversity comes strength and that what you once thought was weakness God will use for good.

I read a devotional Randy Wolfe wrote where he shares this story. “An old Indian chief told his son that there are two wolves that live within us. One is full of fear and doubt that wants to destroy and kill. The other is filled with confidence, faith, and assurance. “Which wolf wins?” asked the young son. His dad said, “The one you feed the most.” Carl Lentz says we have a choice when faced with a crisis. The Indian chief is making the same point to his son. “No matter what our tough times look like from one year to the next, we have a decision to make. Interesting that the only exhortation the bible uses more than remember is “Do not Fear.” So today, remember, feed your faith not your fear


To learn more about the Guillain Barre journey, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/MichaelGuthrie [email protected]