Ruthless Trust

In his book, Ruthless Trust, Brennan Manning speaks of a man named John Kavanaugh, a brilliant man who went to work for three months at “the house of the dying” in Calcutta. John Kavanaugh went seeking a clear answer to how best spend the rest of his life. On the first morning, there in the gutters of Calcutta, John met Mother Theresa. She asked him, “What can I do for you?” He paused to think and then asked if she would pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she wondered. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: “Pray," he said, "that I have clarity.” She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.” Her abrupt response took him back. When he asked why not, she told him, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When Mr. Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the kind of clarity he longed for, she laughed out loud and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing. Most of us know more than what we will ever put into practice, we’ve got enough insights to last a hundred years. What we lack is trust. We lack the courage to take the next step that is in front of us. We want the whole picture, the entire road map, we want to see the final destination and all the turns we will take to get there. Like John Kavanaugh, we are addicted to clarity but what we need is to trust…childlike trust in the Father’s active goodness and unrestricted love.

Brennan Manning wisely points out that when we trust we often do so with a bit of an agenda, presuming that our trust will result in God dispelling our confusion, illuminating the darkness, and clearing all uncertainty. Hebrews 11 reminds us that this is not the case. Our trust does not bring final clarity to our circumstances. It does not still the chaos or dull the pain or provide a crutch. When all else is unclear, the heart of trust says, as Jesus did on the cross, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46).

"Good"

I have been thinking about this word a lot lately. Statements like “God is good, life is good, you are good are ones that we hear often and maybe we react and with sarcasm say, “Ya right!”

We read verses from the Bible like “All things work together for good” (Romans 8:28) or “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)



What does the word mean to you? When the Bible uses it, what does it mean?

In my limited knowledge of life I have come to realize that it is indeed very, very limited. My knowledge compared to God’s knowledge, there is no comparison. So when God uses the word “good” like the “good work” He is doing in me, I am not able to fully appreciate the significance of His perspective of “good”.

Sometimes I don’t like his perspective. I am hard of hearing, have cancer (that is in remission) suffer from arthritis, deal with self identity, have struggles with relationships and self discipline. Is God really doing a “good work” in me?

Yes, because I am,  as the term that we hear often says, “a good work in progress”. Of course, this is from God’s point of view.

How about you? What is the “good work” that God is doing in you? Or is this concept “so heavenly that it is of no earthly good”? There is that word “good” again!

Deliver Us From Amnesia

I have always been fascinated by stories in which the main character suffers from amnesia. We all know how it goes, because they can’t remember their past, they’ve lost their identity. They have no context for their existence. They are isolated and alone. I’m captivated by their intense search for clues that will give them any hint as to who they are. They are consumed by this quest. Maybe I’m so easily drawn into these stories because, if I’m honest, on some other level, I ask the same kinds of questions...  who am I? Why am I here? How does my short little life fit within the grander scheme of things?

God’s word the Bible has given me some answers and although I certainly don’t have it all figured out here’s two things I’m learning to stand on with greater certainty all the time.

Firstly, God’s Word reminds me that my primary identity is as a child of God. “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for He allows us to be called His children, and we really are” I John 3:1. He created me, redeemed me and loves me all the time, even though I don’t deserve it. What a relief to know that it’s not what I do, how well I perform or what I achieve. This identity is a gift that I have received through Jesus. He promises He will never change how He feels towards me. Talk about security! He has also promised that He is always with me so I never need to fear being alone. Do I ever forget my identity? Many times, but as I continue to take God at His word, my bouts with “amnesia” are becoming less frequent. And it doesn’t end there….

Another way that God continues to help me be at ease with who I am is by helping me view my life as part of a bigger story. My story isn’t limited to the context of my parents, grandparents and known family tree. As a child of God I’m part of a much bigger story that includes all the men and women of faith who have gone before me, and all those who will come after me. Whenever I’m having an “amnesia” moment---feeling isolated in my journey with God---all that I need to do is to go to a part of the Bible like Hebrews 11 where I find a list of fellow participants in this great story. When you glance down the list some of these folks saw incredible miracles---like the Red Sea parting and the walls of Jericho falling---of course we’d all like to have a part like that in the story. Others however, saw nothing but hardship and suffering.  What God saw was their faith.   That gives me great comfort because again, its not performance and spectacular results that God is after, it’s faith. Day by day surrendering to Him, doing my best to be obedient and leaving the rest in Him hands. I’m a child of God and part of a great community of faith, each of us with a small but significant role in God’s great story. So let’s face each day with confidence in our identity…and on days we don’t…. God deliver us from amnesia!