Trust

Trust is something that, once lost, is hard to get back. We can trust our hearts to someone, but when that trust is broken and betrayed, it's hard for things to get back to where they once were.

A perfect example of this would be in a marriage. Things are absolutely beautiful at the wedding ceremony but then, over time, things can change. Somebody betrays that trust and the marriage ends in divorce.

So, what happened to our trust? Where did it go? What caused our relationship to fail? Was it us?

Usually what happens is the direct result of sin. Sin is a powerful tool that Satan uses to attack God through us.

Sin takes many forms - lust, greed, infidelity, discontent, selfishness, revenge, hatred. All these things are contrary to God's will for us.

There are two passages about 'love' in the Bible that confirm this concept. You are probably familiar with both of them. The first is found in the Book of 1st Corinthians.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The second scriptural truth is only three words long. But without these three words in our relationships, complete trust is left defenseless and fragile.

"God is love." - 1 John 4:8

Read the verse from 1st Corinthians again, substituting the word 'God' for 'love' and you will see what I mean. 

1st John also says that, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because . . . God is love." Similarly, anyone who does not know God, cannot know love. We cannot possibly love someone else to the full extent that God wants us to love each other unless He is in our hearts.

Hard truth: the divorce rate in the Christian church is nearly the same as it is in the secular world. What does that tell us? Read 1st John 4:8 again. Slowly.

Sin is everywhere. Even in God's church, His 'bride.' It's not God who breaks the trust in our relationship with Him. It's us.

Love is a gift from God. Love cannot fully function without His presence in our hearts. If we place our trust in God first, love, true love, will always follow.

Cause For Divorce?

Before I get started let me just say that this story is NOT about divorce in the usual marital sense. It is, but it isn't. It is about our failure to live up to a commitment we once made, as Christians . . . to God.

In the Book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul describes our relationship with God as a marriage. Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride. Read these verses from Ephesians, not as they apply to earthly marriage relationships, but with the emphasis on our relation ship with Christ.

^"22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." - Ephesians 5:22-24

• First, we are to submit to The Lord (v22). Our will should be the same as His. We should conform to His way of thinking. Do we do that? Are we seeking His will in everything we do? In everything we say? What would He want us to do?
• Second, God is our "head", our boss, our commander, our leader (v23). We are to obey His commands, His decisions, His decrees.
• Third, we are to remember that Jesus died for us, paying the price for OUR sin. He is our savior (v23).
• Fourth, We must be subject to Him in everything (v24). There is a Greek word for that - panti. It means . . . everything.

Thinking of moving in with your boyfriend? If you submit to the Lord you won't. That's fornication. It's a sin and against God's will. Are you thinking of gorging yourself on pizza and sweets while others around you are going hungry? That's a sin. Watching the game instead of going to worship? That's a sin. You are placing your needs above God's. I could go on but you get the point.

According to a recent survey about failed marriages, the most common reason given for divorce(73%) was a "lack of commitment." Are we committed in our marriage with Jesus? Probably not to the extent we should be I fear.

Other reasons given as causes of divorce were arguing (56%) and infidelity (55%). Do we disagree with God's laws? Have we broken any of the Ten Commandments? I have. Have we been unfaithful to God? I already mentioned skipping a worship service to watch a Packers game. Are we unfaithful in other ways? Lack of service perhaps? Failure to pray as often as we should or to spend time reading The Bible?

These are all things our "Ephesians 5 husband" wants us to do. We are to be subject to Him, yet most of us are not. Here's the tough question. Based on today's top three reasons for divorce, does Jesus have a case against us? Sadly, I think He does. So, why doesn't He divorce us?

Well, that's easy to answer. It's His unconditional love for us. His desire that "none should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). His desire to "gather us to Himself as a mother hen protects her chicks (Matthew 23:37). God loves us so much He died for us (Romans 5:8)!

I need to work on my marriage with Jesus. I want to have that type of marriage where we love each other, encourage each other and do things for each other. We pray together, finish each others sentences and praise God for the marriage arrangement He has given us. It works well if we are devoted to one another. Are we holding up our end of things? In ALL things?

At The Cross - Chris Tomlin