Who Do You Trust?

March Spartan (4th Brigade/25 ID) Newsletter
Faith’s Fold

Who Do You Trust?
Capt. Dan Hardin
Chaplain, 1st Battalion, 501st PIR

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD…” –Psalm 37:3-5a

When I am separated from my family, I quickly realize how much I take for granted. This is often revealed in my prayers. I think of my family and pray for them when we are together. However, when separation comes I marvel at how much more time I spend praying for them.

That is probably because I miss them and they are on my mind more often than normal. But for me, it also reveals that perhaps I put too much faith in myself. It is obvious how much I need God to watch over them when I am not there, but do I trust him as much when we are together? Do I rely on him just as much when there is no deployment? If prayer is the measure, then perhaps I could stand to grow in this area.

I have discovered this holds true in other areas of my life. The more training, the more school, the more practice, the more skill I acquire, it seems the more I am tempted to trust in myself. Yet it is God who is the source of everything- my experiences, my abilities, my gifts, and my talents. All that I am comes from him. So why is it so hard to really trust him?

I was working with a Soldier today who was wrestling with issues concerning his job. We both quickly realized his frustration came from trying hard and getting nowhere. For him, the real problem was trusting God with his job. I spoke these words, “When you’ve done all you could do and it still seems like the world is against you- resign to God’s providence and simply trust that he is truly in control.” His demeanor changed; anger and bitterness melted. A peace that passed all natural understanding (for his problems were real) flooded in to his being. It was beautiful.

Maybe it is difficult to really trust God when we are trying to steer the ship. I could think, “With all my experience, skill, and talent I could manage well enough.” However, with my control comes a lot of worry. When I trust his leadership and allow him to navigate and direct my life, then the peace comes.

All the goals and all the things I want that are right and good, these things I can have as I trust God. There are tasks I need to do, but first I must learn to trust God. There is more peace and less worry in my life as I put my faith in him. I encourage you to join me in this journey.

Include God in your life and trust him with your heart’s desire, your treasures, and your loved ones. I believe it is a much better way to live. Trust God during deployment. But trust him at home as well. Trust him with your job, your family, your finances, and your future. Put your trust in the only one who can make an eternal difference in all the dimensions of your life.