Jimbo's Jots

Go and look at a coin in your pocket! Or if you are like me and don’t carry change, go find a coin. The words “In God We Trust” are written on it. The history of how it got there is fascinating! Take a look: https://www.treasury.gov/about/education/Pages/in-god-we-trust.aspx.

Erik Erikson’s Stages of Human Development shows us that we learn trust vs. mistrust in the very first year of life. It’s through relationships developed, according to Erikson, that we learn the virtues of faith and hope.

So why is it so hard for us to trust as adults? Why do we struggle with the virtue of faith and hope in our family and friends? The easy answer is at some point, someone we DID trust, broke that trust. And we have a hard time handing over that trust to them again.

Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe our trust is in the wrong place. Let me add that some have said that “God will never put you through more than you can handle.” I’m not a theologian, but I’m also not sure that is good theology either. The men thrown in the furnace trusted in God regardless of the outcome. David standing before Goliath was a statement of trust in God in the battle.

You see when we believe “God will never put you through more than you can handle”, you still are putting more trust, faith and hope in your self and your ability than trusting in God’s sovereign work in your life.

This is a message we can share with our children. When we sing, My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, There’s nothing my God cannot do, we declare that God can handle anything in my life. There is where our trust lies. Our trust is in God the Creator of life and Master of all things.

So, let’s all, old and young, learn to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Be blessed and be a blessing!