What say you?

 I have begun advocating a focus on trust rather than on truth. People seem to want to argue or debate what is true. We never really get anywhere with this approach. I find it more helpful to ask, "who or what do you trust for what you believe and why, not what do you think is true."

While I believe there is one truth in most aspects of life, people can never resolve what it is. No one can prove anything. Science is helpful in many ways, but it mainly confirms what we believe, it never settles the debate. It's never been more obvious than with current events around the corona virus. Before that it was climate change. Economists have never settled on the one true model for growing the economy. And so on ...

What sits beneath what we think is true is the biases we trust. These are the basic foundations of belief we depend on without question. So, when someone wants to argue a point on what they believe, I try to move the debate to who/what they trust for this belief. This becomes especially the case about spiritual or moral ideals people cling to. Most of my life there were attempts to prove God exists. In fact this has been an ongoing debate in the Western world for a thousand years, maybe more. 

Recently I was teaching this principle, "its not what we know that matters but who/what we trust," when a friend said, "can you give us an example? Ca you tell us why you trust God?"  Fair question.

Here is what I put together on what I trust God for my identity in Christ:

“The Holy Spirit has revealed to me God’s presence and love for me. The Scriptures are more than just words, I know that I know they are His words about who He is, His Kingdom and who I am. These revelations seem reliable because they are confirmed consistently by reason and emotion. What I see around me strengthens my trust, not by proving, but by pointing in tangible ways to the invisible and eternal ways of God.

It makes sense to me that all humans are futile in judging right and wrong, in producing outcomes in this world that satisfy the soul, and in fulfilling passions of the heart on their own. It makes sense that I am privileged to receive from Him all provisions of the Heavenlies. It makes sense to me that something is real only when it is true everywhere all the time. It makes sense that the only thing that really matters to me is His Kingdom. It makes sense to me that credible people throughout history have consistently testified in their own lives these same insights God has revealed to me.  

I find my deepest love is for Him and His Son Jesus. With Him I Wow all the time. With Him I do not feel alone, fearful, abandoned, or inadequate. I find a ground swell of emotion as He let’s me know He’s here and involved. I find great comfort in knowing in my heart that He is sovereign, and everything in the visible and invisible realms are exactly as He wills. 

I do not trust God FOR anything He does for or to me. I trust HIM without reservation.”

Notice this is way different than proving God or anything about Him, for no one can ever do that. Faith is a trust that comes about from unobservable evidence. Everyone has a faith. Everyone relies on unobservable evidence for that faith.

When asked for why you trust whoever or whatever you rely on, what say you?