Misplaced Trust
If God is good, but good isn’t God, how do we avoid making some of our worst mistakes with the best things in life?
In an effort to clarify the problem of misplaced trust, what if we said to our hearts: Love God, but don’t depend on your love for Him. Seek to know Him, but don’t rely on your own understanding. Make it your purpose to serve Him, but don’t ever imagine that He’s indebted to your service. Make it your objective to please Him, but don’t depend on your own efforts to do so.
Listen to your conscience, but don’t depend on your own ability to discern right from wrong. Plan your way, but don’t presume to know what’s ahead.
Seek good relationships, but don’t depend on good relationships. Try to find the company of wise people, but don’t stake your life on their counsel. Know the Word of God, but don’t make a god of your knowledge. Surround yourself with good teachers, but don’t idolize them. Feel sorrow for your sin, but don’t count on your sorrow to assure rightness with God.
Count your money and manage it well, but don’t suppose that any amount of money can secure safety or satisfaction. Establish budgets to discipline your use of resources, but don’t depend on your budgets. Work hard, but don’t depend on your work.
Sacrifice for the sake of others, but don’t depend on your sacrifice. Be generous, but don’t depend on your generosity. Seek to be self-disciplined, but don’t rely on your own self-discipline. Seek at all costs to be good, but don’t rely on your own goodness or godliness.
Be clever, but don’t depend on your cleverness. Seek to be wise, but don’t trust your wisdom. Try to understand yourself and others, but don’t lean on your own communication skills.
Be kind, but don’t rely on your kindness. Love others, but don’t be proud of your own love. Give gifts to others, but don’t depend on your gifts to accomplish the intent for which you gave them. Work hard to be a peacemaker, but don’t make peace into a god. Be faithful to others, but don’t rely on your own faithfulness.
Seek to be successful, but don’t bank on your own accomplishments. Try to be efficient, but don’t rely on your own efficiency. Be careful, but don’t depend on your own carefulness. Work to make good decisions, but don’t depend on your own decisions. Develop a strategy, but don’t count on your strategies. Set goals, but don’t depend on your goals. Define clear and measurable objectives, but don’t count on your objectives.
Pray, but don’t make an idol out of your prayers. Make worship a priority, but don’t depend on your worship. Know your spiritual gifts, but don’t pin your faith on them.
Entrust yourself to others, but don’t depend on others. Follow good leaders, but don’t depend on good leaders. Surround yourself with good advisors, but don’t rely on your advisors. Read good books, but don’t depend on books. Value friendships, but don’t depend on your friends. Be careful about your appearance, but don’t rely on good looks. Try to stay healthy, but don’t depend on your own efforts to be healthy. Enjoy rest, but don’t live for your weekends. Exercise your body, but don’t trust your exercise to assure well-being and health. Try to live a long life, but don’t count on a long life.
Enjoy good times, but don’t depend on good times. Be thankful for today’s provisions, but don’t lean on these provisions for tomorrow.
Value a good education, but don’t worship education. Learn from your mistakes, but don’t depend on what you’ve learned. Use technology, but don’t depend on technology. Invest your money wisely, but don’t count on your investments.
Try to think clearly, but don’t depend on your own thoughts. Try to reason logically, but don’t be conceited about your own thoughtfulness. Value your accomplishments, but don’t become puffed up over them.
Honor your parents, but don’t live for your parents’ approval. Love your children, but don’t make gods of them. Enjoy your grandchildren. Pray for them. Give them your love and example. But don’t tie your hopes and dreams to their choices.
Father, help us to hear You when You urge the wise not to trust in their wisdom, nor the strong to depend on their strength. Help us to hear You when You invite us to rely on this and this alone—that we know You, the everlasting God (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Teach us, Father, to trust what You have done for us through the undeserved provisions of Your Spirit, Your Son, and Your grace.
And help us to hear Your servant when he lovingly writes, “The Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:20-21).
-- Mart De Haan
If God is good, but good isn’t God, how do we avoid making some of our worst mistakes with the best things in life?
In an effort to clarify the problem of misplaced trust, what if we said to our hearts: Love God, but don’t depend on your love for Him. Seek to know Him, but don’t rely on your own understanding. Make it your purpose to serve Him, but don’t ever imagine that He’s indebted to your service. Make it your objective to please Him, but don’t depend on your own efforts to do so.
Listen to your conscience, but don’t depend on your own ability to discern right from wrong. Plan your way, but don’t presume to know what’s ahead.
Seek good relationships, but don’t depend on good relationships. Try to find the company of wise people, but don’t stake your life on their counsel. Know the Word of God, but don’t make a god of your knowledge. Surround yourself with good teachers, but don’t idolize them. Feel sorrow for your sin, but don’t count on your sorrow to assure rightness with God.
Count your money and manage it well, but don’t suppose that any amount of money can secure safety or satisfaction. Establish budgets to discipline your use of resources, but don’t depend on your budgets. Work hard, but don’t depend on your work.
Sacrifice for the sake of others, but don’t depend on your sacrifice. Be generous, but don’t depend on your generosity. Seek to be self-disciplined, but don’t rely on your own self-discipline. Seek at all costs to be good, but don’t rely on your own goodness or godliness.
Be clever, but don’t depend on your cleverness. Seek to be wise, but don’t trust your wisdom. Try to understand yourself and others, but don’t lean on your own communication skills.
Be kind, but don’t rely on your kindness. Love others, but don’t be proud of your own love. Give gifts to others, but don’t depend on your gifts to accomplish the intent for which you gave them. Work hard to be a peacemaker, but don’t make peace into a god. Be faithful to others, but don’t rely on your own faithfulness.
Seek to be successful, but don’t bank on your own accomplishments. Try to be efficient, but don’t rely on your own efficiency. Be careful, but don’t depend on your own carefulness. Work to make good decisions, but don’t depend on your own decisions. Develop a strategy, but don’t count on your strategies. Set goals, but don’t depend on your goals. Define clear and measurable objectives, but don’t count on your objectives.
Pray, but don’t make an idol out of your prayers. Make worship a priority, but don’t depend on your worship. Know your spiritual gifts, but don’t pin your faith on them.
Entrust yourself to others, but don’t depend on others. Follow good leaders, but don’t depend on good leaders. Surround yourself with good advisors, but don’t rely on your advisors. Read good books, but don’t depend on books. Value friendships, but don’t depend on your friends. Be careful about your appearance, but don’t rely on good looks. Try to stay healthy, but don’t depend on your own efforts to be healthy. Enjoy rest, but don’t live for your weekends. Exercise your body, but don’t trust your exercise to assure well-being and health. Try to live a long life, but don’t count on a long life.
Enjoy good times, but don’t depend on good times. Be thankful for today’s provisions, but don’t lean on these provisions for tomorrow.
Value a good education, but don’t worship education. Learn from your mistakes, but don’t depend on what you’ve learned. Use technology, but don’t depend on technology. Invest your money wisely, but don’t count on your investments.
Try to think clearly, but don’t depend on your own thoughts. Try to reason logically, but don’t be conceited about your own thoughtfulness. Value your accomplishments, but don’t become puffed up over them.
Honor your parents, but don’t live for your parents’ approval. Love your children, but don’t make gods of them. Enjoy your grandchildren. Pray for them. Give them your love and example. But don’t tie your hopes and dreams to their choices.
Father, help us to hear You when You urge the wise not to trust in their wisdom, nor the strong to depend on their strength. Help us to hear You when You invite us to rely on this and this alone—that we know You, the everlasting God (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Teach us, Father, to trust what You have done for us through the undeserved provisions of Your Spirit, Your Son, and Your grace.
And help us to hear Your servant when he lovingly writes, “The Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:20-21).
-- Mart De Haan
