How to trust God when things are going well
God is indeed our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Many Christians have experienced the truth of Psalm 46 in the midst of all sorts of trials. I have suffered redundancy and/or unemployment following my last four jobs over the past twelve years. Each time God has been good. Friends and family have been generous. My wife and children have been very understanding and supportive. God has been faithful. He has given us each day our daily bread.
There have also been times over the past twelve years when things have gone well at work. By things going well, I mean something more than simply material success - that is, reasonable salary, interesting job and good employer. I mean a situation where I seem to have earned the respect of colleagues and I can do my work without compromising my Christian integrity; where people know I am a Christian and I have opportunities to talk about God; where I do not work long hours and can fulfil other commitments in the family, church and elsewhere. To borrow an idea from Psalm 16, "when the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places."
Yet God has a warning for such times. In Deuteronomy 8, Moses is giving a charge to Israel before he dies and before the nation invades the Promised Land. In verses 12 and 13 of the chapter, Moses looks forward to the time when the people will have eaten and are full; when they will have built good houses to live in. Their herds and flocks will have multiplied - along with their silver and gold. In fact, all they have will be "multiplied" (v13b). The danger is summarised in verse 17: 'Beware, lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth" '. That is the truth, isn't it? When things go well, we are tempted to think it is all about us.
In March this year I landed a reasonably paid, short-term contract after yet another redundancy. I began to credit myself for the outcome. I told myself it was thanks to my tenacious job hunt. I had built up my contacts over the years, and then meticulously recorded those details in Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes. I had the skills and experience from 20 years of work. It had been my power and the might of my hand. I deserved it. Of course, believers and unbelievers alike should follow these sorts of steps on a job hunt. Still, as Christians, we must not forget Deuteronomy 8:18 says: 'You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth'.
Yes, people create wealth through innovation, hard work, need, greed, even luck. But behind it all is a God who gives the power, the ability, to get that wealth. But how can we trust God when things are going well; when we have arrived at a pleasant place through our own hard work and God's grace? Perhaps we need to consider what it means to 'trust God'. When things are going well, how many of us long for heaven? I mean, really, really long for heaven? We are quite comfortable down here, thank you.
Remember, I am not talking about the rich young man of Mark 10, or the prosperous farmer of Luke 12 - people who appear to have sold themselves to worldly riches. Rather, I am talking about times when God has blessed us materially and He is, at the same time, using us at work - and elsewhere. In such times, don't ask, 'Do I trust God?', but rather, 'What am I trusting God for?' In the end, the answers remain: forgiveness of sins, a restored relationship with God, eternal life. That is what we can trust God for. Two verses come to mind: "For God shows his love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8); "Neither life for death, nor principalities nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:38).
So how do we trust God when things are going well? We remember not to get too comfortable down here. And we remind ourselves what we are trusting him for - we trust God will bring us to His side in eternity.
When things are going well, how many of us long for heaven?
Alan Bright
Alan Bright works as a PR manager in the City and writes freelance about financial technology. He also maintains a web site: Middle-Aged With A Mission For Christ: www. mawamfc.org.
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