Homily

Who would you trust to have absolute control over all of your money? Now let's go one step further: Who would you trust to have absolute control not only over all of your money but all of your possessions as well? And by absolute control I mean absolute control. You have no final say, you cannot change or alter the decisions he/she or they would make for you. If it was thought best that you should live on $50.00 a week, and live in a studio apartment you would have to do it because you would trust them completely to look out for your best interest. Who would you trust?

Who would you trust to have complete authority over how you would spend your time for the next year? They would make for you decisions about where you would live, where you would work, when you would eat, how you would spend your free time, who you would be in contact with and how often. They would generally plan out your complete daily schedule, every day. Who would you trust to do that for you?

Who would you trust with the knowledge, the ability to know every single thing you ever said, or any thought you ever had, or any action you ever did? I'm not talking about just some unpleasant or unflattering things, but all of it, any of it, all the worst parts of me and my life and my history in every single way. Is there any person or any persons I could trust with all that knowledge if they could know everything about me?

I raise these questions because they help to show, I think, how much we trust, and who we do or don't trust, in these areas, and in general. And you might say that it is not necessary to trust in the way these extreme examples call for, and that is true. But still I think they help us to see who and how much we might trust others, or not.

Who would we trust to hold on to a $100 bill for us? There's probably a good number of people. Who would we allow to see all the information about our finances?—probably not so many. So it's always a question not only of who we trust, but also how much we trust them. We have general patterns of trust we share with other people, levels of confidence in their desire and their ability to look out for our welfare and well-being, and most of the time the final say for ourselves is our decision and rightly so. It is our decision.  Our decision might even be to accept someone else's opinion because we trust them. But I think these extreme examples can help us see something about trust.

Of course we trust ourselves, don't we? I find it a fascinating thing that no matter how many times I may have been wrong, how many times I've tried to fool myself, no matter how many times I have let myself down and failed to live up to my own promises and decisions, I still have faith in me. Other people may only get one chance and my confidence in them is broken, but apparently, and despite all the failings, somehow I can still and completely trust in myself. Isn't that strange?

These thoughts came up because I was thinking and pondering the question of how much I trust God. Generally, philosophically, in the broadest sense of the word, I do trust God, as do we all here today. We trust God. But how much do we trust God, how much do I believe in Him and His care for me? Because, just like in real life, I have the last say, I make the final decision, and if I am making the final decision how much of that reflects my faith in God and that the only thing He wants for me is to live the fullest and best life I can live?

Every time I sin, every time I think or act contrary to God's law or the Gospel of Christ, it shows my lack of confidence in the Lord; it is not a total lack of faith, of course not. Yet it is still a vote for my own ability to know and do what's good for me, over trusting in the Lord's word on it.

Yes, I trust God in general. It's just when I get down to the specifics that I wonder how much I really trust Him. I mean as long as I'm making all the decisions for me, I think it's very easy not to have to trust God when making them. God is not even a co-signer on my checking account so I may not feel any need here or there to trust in Him (as long as I still have enough money in my checking account!) That's the rub and that's the danger: to trust God only when no other solution will work. And then, as it tragically happens some times, if the desired thing doesn't come about the way people want, they give up their faith in a God they've only really known in times of danger and despair, rather than the God who takes care of the lilies of the field and birds of the air.

So I suggest we spend a little time considering how much faith we actually do put in the Lord, not in a general sense, but in an every day, practical life, in my thoughts, words and deeds, understanding that the final decisions are always mine, how much of my life reflects a true and genuine trust in God and His loving care for me? Scripture states that only a fool says there is no God. I think it's also safe to say that we act like fools when we ignore His commands. And even more so it is great foolishness to believe that trusting in ourselves is better than trusting in the saving love and divine providence that God has for all of us. So if we see our lack of faith let us be wise enough to strive and to work to trust more in the Lord, and believe that if we ask Him He will even help us to put our faith and confidence more completely in Him. May we trust Him!