Get contentment and a sense of purpose
during daily life through trust in God.
Trusting God to help us with our daily responsibilities.
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1. INTRODUCTION
You can read the introductory article to this section of the website, “God’s presence in our lives” before going on, if you have not already. It explains the various methods, available to us, that we can use to connect or engage with God in our lives. And how our lives can be positively transformed as a result! It also tries to put those available methods, and our overall relationship with God, in perspective.
(To read about the ‘who’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this website please click here.)
This particular article relates to the added purpose and contentment in life gained through trusting God on a day-to-day basis. Once we do start to see how our daily responsibilities and faith fit together, the genuine wonder of it (and its outcomes) begins to become obvious.
So please remember, the more we use faith, the more of it we get.
2. FAITHFULNESS AND DRAWING CLOSER
Let us have a look at how we can actually draw closer to God, through ‘faithfulness’ and developing our trusting relationship with him. We are in fact ‘shifting up a gear’ in our faith journey by doing so.
2.1 What faithfulness means
With regards to faithfulness as raised above, I mean trying hard to live a life that is based on the word of God (the Bible) as it applies to us. Essentially, that means trying to live the kind of life that God desires of us. I often use the words, “living, loving, giving and forgiving” as the basis of faithfulness in our lives. A life for each of us that is certainly ‘not just about me’. I think the article, “Building sound faith” should also guide you in this stuff.
(There are also further explanations about ‘faithfulness and life’ in the following article, “Trusting God with your life”.)
Speaking from experience, a life lived in this manner has a number of benefits for us. It firstly makes us feel more comfortable in our relationship with God. Overall, we just become closer to him, and all that flows from that, as a result.
2.2 Growing ever closer to him
We can certainly start to move into this type of trusting relationship with God once we have begun to hold some belief in him. I mean recognising him there within our ‘fellowship of faith’ (our chosen church), ‘our everyday lives‘ and of course ‘within the Bible‘. When we are at this stage of faith and belief, then it is time to try moving even closer to him in trust.
I suggested in the article, “Building a relationship with God”, that we firstly need to accept through ‘faith’ that God IS here (i.e. we really are open to the possibility of his existence) as we form that relationship. Now at this point of our relationship, i.e. moving even closer to God in trust, we are ‘better served’ by strengthening that sense of having him with us. It is explained in the Bible just how close his presence actually is:
For in him we live and move and have our being.
[Acts 17:28 extract]
His presence as such can be ‘absolute’ for us … if we just give it a go!
3. WALKING IN TRUST WITH HIM
So, if we are to genuinely ‘walk in trust’ with God on a daily basis, where and how should we start? Well, I suggest you just begin your walk with him by opening yourself for short periods at first, quietly chatting with him as you go. Accept through faith that he wants to connect or engage with you in your day; ready to provide his loving care to you.
Yet again, I will be surprised if you do not find that a day, or even hours, spent deliberately ‘walking with the Lord’ – completely opening yourself in trust to his presence in your life – will roll along much more smoothly and productively than normal. Sometimes, as I have often seen it, the outcome may actually be quite special. But that depends on just what you are trying to achieve in your efforts.
3.1 Testing the waters
As a starting point, for walking in trust, we carefully look for his guidance in our day. The article “God’s guidance” gives an overview how we can do this. And then if we are genuinely following that guidance, we can then expect his loving care; his helping hand to become obvious. If you like, have a look at the article “God’s helping hand”. It explains how God assists us, removing barriers, through divine providence (i.e. his helping hand) when we do follow his guidance in life.
Remember again (and I keep repeating this), life is not supposed to be just ‘all about me’! It is not about laziness either. In that day you might work on a home project or a challenging job at work; help out a neighbour, school friend, co-worker, relative or even a stranger … whatever. Any job, large or small, that really needs doing.
I will say too, that God’s helping hand is even more obvious when we go out of our way to actually help others.
If you put in the effort, open and relax yourself to God’s presence as you perform your responsibilities, then he will assist. Talk to him about what is needed as you progress. Ask for his help to make sure it all works out. Feel confident in his loving care.
And don’t forget to let other people know that God deserves some credit for success when it happens.
3.2 Trust that he ‘knows best’
Do NOT worry, during this process of ‘testing the waters’, if something doesn’t go as originally planned by you: chat with him, feel POSITIVE in his power. Calmly let events unfold in the way that they do again in complete trust. From the Bible’s Old Testament:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding.
[Proverbs 3:5]
As in my case you will normally find that any change, when compared to your original plan, was always going to lead to the best outcome for overall success. I can definitely say he wants to help. And, oh so importantly, he knows exactly what is best in any situation you may face!
3.3 Be totally confident in God
So be ready, as totally open to God as you can be, and relaxed about events as they unfold. Talk to him … I say that again and again. And I mean really relax, in total trust. He is there, and involved. Hand it over. Completely! Shut down your anxieties. Just get your brain to that ‘place’ of complete confidence in him. In other words, be totally confident in his desire and ability to assist you.
And if you still find it hard to relax into that positive state then ask him, again with TRUST, to help you get ‘your head in the right place’. I am writing from experience here. Trusting him ‘with all your heart’, as that verse above says, is definitely the way to go forward!
That sort of attitude of complete faith is as important here as it is when ‘praying for things‘. The Bible verses in Matthew 14:25-31 also make it clear how important ‘complete faith’ really is when we are faced with challenges in life!
Look, I know this stuff doesn’t always sit well with our normal ‘doubting’ human nature. But work at it and you won’t be disappointed in the long run. It will happen for you, I am almost certain!
4. CONCLUSION
Gradually, gradually, build up your practise of trusting him. Walk with the Lord through the whole day, as soon as you can relax into that. Increase the regularity of your chats with him as you get the chance. Hand over problems you are facing etc … confide in him about them.
You will come to clearly recognise his power as it is released into your life (within limits of course) as time passes. Gradually both your ‘Christian faith’ and ‘belief in God’ will increase in strength as contentment in that trusting relationship increases. Expect ‘your love for him’ to grow as well.
The final step is to hand over your whole life’s direction to him. And to find the ‘REAL YOU’!
Continue to the next article, “Trusting God with your life”.