Tradition or Trust
So, let me get a few things straight…
If I choose to move out of my house and live out of a backpack then I am not technically homeless…. I am just camping?
If miss my plane and I have nowhere to go for a day then I am stranded… but if I fly there intentionally then I am on vacation?
If I am on a road trip I can spend hours in the car laughing talking and playing music but if I am stuck in traffic on a weekday then I want to smash my face against the radio until the music stops…(literally or figuratively).
What is the difference between giving everything away or to have everything stolen from you? In one scenario I feel loss… I feel outraged and violated because I have been robbed! But if I give my things freely then I feel liberated from stuff I really didn’t need. But I lose everything either way?!
All of these scenarios show that we humans are fickle creatures that experience suffering whenever we feel out of control.
But Paul says “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” Phil 3:8.
The difference is Paul trusts God…
Many of us live stressed out, frantic and worrisome lives all while saying we trust God. If this is the reality then I would say that we don’t trust God as much as we trust our tradition of trusting God.
Tradition is an attempt to keep God contained and predictable.
Trust always puts us in a place of true relationship because we have to depend on God to come through instead of our predictable and safe religion.
The real question is “Do I trust that God will take care of me?”
The deeper reality is that it has nothing to do with where I am living or what I possess… but who is it that I trust?
Next time you feel out of control take a second to ask yourself who you are trusting…
If I fully trust God and I feel out of control… I can still be safe and calm.
If I fully trust in myself and feel out of control… I am a walking disaster for myself and everyone I come in contact with.
Who do you trust?
