In 2016 Just Trust.

So this is where I am. This is what I learned in 2015. I don't expect everyone to be here with me. This is just a truth I stumbled upon in my path...somewhere in the middle of living life and seeking Christ, this is where I've found peace.

In the new year, there will be expectations and desires and joys and hurts and inevitable pain, There will be horrible acts of senseless violence and evil crimes committed. We will loose loved ones. We will mourn. We may go into full on war. We may elect a terrible choice as our leader.

But you know what? It DOESN'T MATTER.

"Trust the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6

Just Trust. That's the big secret, the epiphany I've found for this new year. 

Sounds so simple doesn't it? So Freeing. Just. Trust. 

Problem is, it isn't easy to do.

We worry. We let fear guide us. We hide and put up walls and create laws and policy and shut out others who are not like us. We hold onto our things and our comforts and push real, living people away. We let them drown so we can hang on to our safety nets. We hoard our lifeboats and preserve our standard of living, high on the drug of materialism. We shoot up with our addictions, so we can't feel other's pain.

Why? Because we stop trusting. And when we stop trusting, we get unhappy. I believe there is an absolute link between worrying about the THINGS of this world and discontentment. And discontent develops the links that lead to the chains of bitterness, jealousy, and resentment, all made from the corrosive metal of fear. We put our trust in ourselves, in our partners, in our jobs, in our government, even in our children. But we aren't enough. They aren't enough. So we fear. Our minds can't wrap around a great big God who cares for all of us at once. We can't conceive of the limitlessness. And the science of it all. It just doesn't make any sense. So we choose fear.

"But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled." Isaiah 25:4-5

Let me tell you a secret. It doesn't matter who's leading, winning, or running the world down here. DOESN'T MATTER. Here's the truth. It doesn't matter what kind of job we have, how much money we make, what kind of car we drive, the clothes we wear, if we wear makeup or how we accessorize. It doesn't matter how many letters we can put after our names or how many degrees we have. Titles, ranks, likes, followers. They DO NOT MATTER. They don't impress HIM much.

All that matters is how much time we spend down on our knees beside the manger. It doesn't matter how far we get up the mountain. What matters is how far down we are willing to go to reach Him. Because the King of all Kings came to see the condition of our hearts and asked us to just trust in him.

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:5-8

SO. What if we choose to Just Trust God in 2016. In all things, everyday, in all situations. Just Trust. What if we stopped caring about keeping up with the Joneses or the Kardashians. What if instead we tried to keep up with Jesus? What if instead of fear or worry, we have faith and hope in Christ?

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use in worrying over bigger things?" 
"And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don't worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need." Luke 12:25, 29-31

Without seeking first the kingdom, it's impossible not to fill up our concerns with worries and wants of the world. Let's seek Him. Beyond all else.

Faith. Hope. Love. But the faith comes first. Without faith, there is no hope. Without faith, it is impossible to love the way we are called to love.

Just like love, trust is not a feeling, but a choice. It is an action we choose. Will we choose Fear or Faith? Let's choose to just trust in 2016.

Wishing you Peace and Joy in the New Year,

Ashley

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