TRUST FALL

John 12:44-50
44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent Me. 45 When he looks at Me, he sees the One who sent Me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. 47 As for the person who hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a Judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say."

Have you ever done a trust fall with a friend? You clamp your arms to your side, stiffen up, and fall blindly backwards into their arms. The goal of the game is to have your friend catch you, thereby proving that you trust him. You hope, really hope, that you don't simply fall to the ground!

I've never been real good at trust falls. First, I can't catch falling people very well. Whether they land in my arms or not, we both end up on the ground. Second, I don't trust people enough to catch me when I fall backwards. I usually end up just standing there while my friend waits impatiently behind me.

A similar thing happens to me in my walk with Jesus. Instead of trusting Him, I sometimes refuse to let God handle an issue I'm facing. "No!" I'll tell Him, "I can do this on my own!" and I'll stand there while He waits patiently--ready to catch me.

Often I will come to my senses and surrender to God. In His capable hands the problem is soon solved--though not always the way I would have done it. I'm learning, slowly, that just giving my all to Him leads to the best result.

When Jesus was shouting to the crowds in John 12, He was making it clear that believers must trust in Him, obey Him, and not attempt to go their own way (vv.44-47). If we could do everything by ourselves, why would we need Jesus?

We can't make it on our own, and that's why it's so important that we surrender to Him. He came to save us, to love us, and to help us. As we learn to trust Him completely, we learn obedience and our faith deepens.

Let's say this to Jesus: "Ready, here I go. I'm falling into Your arms." --Stephanie Widner, Colorado

Written by a fellow Soul Journey reader

DESTINATION POINTS

* What "trust issues" do I have?
* How can I learn to trust God more?

LINKS:
How Can I Find Peace?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2002/001/12.10.html

bottom line: To trust in God is to surrender to His will.

soul journey