When you and I can see how things are going to work out. When we have what we think we need. When we can see the plan – step A, step B, step C. That doesn’t take much faith.
But what about when you and I can’t see how things are going to work out? When we don’t have what we think we need? When we can’t see the plan?
That’s a lot harder. Too often, when we’re faced with that, we get discouraged. We get upset.
We think things like, “God, what’s happening? I’m scared. I can’t see what you’re doing right now.”
There’s nothing wrong with venting to God. Sometimes we need to. As human beings, we’re not always able to see the big picture. You and I aren’t going to understand everything.
When that happens, there’s no one better for us to go with our worries, with our fears than God.
But there’s a danger when we get discouraged. When we get upset, we can easily slide into things like, “God, why aren’t you doing something about this? This isn’t happening like it’s supposed to. God, why haven’t you fixed this already?”
Now, we’re not venting anymore. We’re telling God what to do. Whether we mean to or not – we’re telling God we won’t be happy. We’re not going to trust Him. Until He does it our way.
What we’re really saying is that our faith, our trust, is conditional. Conditional on getting our way.
One of the problems with conditional trust (and there are a lot of them) is that there will always be things that you and I don’t understand.
Things that don’t work out the way we wanted them to. Things that don’t happen fast enough. Prayers that aren’t answered our way.
If our trust in God is conditional, then we’re going to spend most of our time upset and discouraged. Because the person that we’re really trusting isn’t God. It’s us.
We’re trusting someone who, if we’re honest, is horrifyingly effective at letting us down. At falling short. At not meeting our needs. Someone who has done this to us for years.
And every time we do, we set ourselves up to be disappointed. Again.
What’s the alternative to setting ourselves up like that?
Follow the call, like we see in today’s Gospel, to trust God for our needs. And to trust Him unconditionally.
To let go of needing to know how things are going to work out. To let go of trying to see around the corners.
To tell God what we think we need. And then to let go of our list, of our “have-to’s.”
To take the pressure off, by letting God be in control.
It’s a call back to Isaiah. Where God says, “My ways are higher than your ways, My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”
And a challenge. To not just say the words. But to live the truth of those words. That’s God’s ways are higher than our ways. That we’re not always going to understand what God is doing.
It’s not always easy. To have that kind of faith. To trust that God provides.
But the simple truth is that God always does. Even when we can’t see how.
