In 1978 at the height of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, the Soviet government, at the request of the Russian church, invited me to visit that vast land. During my visit to eight cities, I sensed that millions of people were imprisoned by fear resulting from mental and physical abuse. The KGB, the secret police of the Soviet government, seemed to squeeze every individual to discover information about the activities and views of political dissidents, followers of Christ, and Jews. Under this kind of suspicion and tyranny, no one trusted anyone. Even family members turned against each other in this oppressive uncertainty.
While few of us in the West live under such conditions today, you may have often wondered, Who can I really trust? Perhaps you have a friend or two you consider trustworthy. But beyond that, who can you trust with the things that you consider most private and valuable?
I am sure you will agree that trustworthiness is in short supply today. At every level of government, there are officials who feel that dishonesty serves a purpose in politics. Within our financial institutions, businessmen have used the wealth of others to their personal advantage, often depriving those who are most vulnerable, senior citizens, of their retirement funds. People break contracts without remorse under the pretense of smart business practices. Husbands and wives, some who have been married for decades, betray their spouses for their own selfish, lustful desires. Families, especially innocent children, are shattered by broken promises. Good friends become enemies over lapses in honesty.
If a close friend or relative has betrayed your trust, how did that betrayal affect your relationship? Did it influence how much you trust other people today?
In many cases our past experiences, backgrounds, and personalities shape how we view other people and how we form relationships with them. If someone we trusted hurt us, we hesitate to trust anyone else again. If a parent or sibling treated us shamefully, we respond by protecting ourselves from other close relationships. Although trust is an important part of any healthy friendship, for many of us, building trust is one of the most difficult elements of our relationships.
But what about God? Can He be trusted? How far are you willing to go in trusting Him? The amount of trust you have in God depends on how you view Him. Some people think of Him as a big bully, a cosmic policeman, or a divine Santa Claus. Others believe He is like their insensitive, selfish parents who do whatever they want because they have the size or power.
Some consider God to be hard to get along with, someone to fear. Others think of Him as a heartless dictator waiting to punish them for doing wrong. Perhaps you see Him as a kindly grandfather who just shakes His head over the terrible plight of humankind but does not get involved. Do you see Him as loving, gracious, tender, and compassionate? Or as critical, jealous, vindictive, and haughty?
I hear from many Christians who are discouraged in their quest to know God more fully. They claim to have tried to learn what God is like but have come up short. Maybe they failed on a commitment they made to God and feel the communication lines are down between themselves and heaven. Others believe that God has abandoned them or treated them unfairly. Some simply do not know what God is like and have decided that they probably will never know more than they do now. Millions of people cry out, “Who are you, God?”
Would you not agree that the most astounding news we can ever hear is that God, the almighty Creator of heaven and earth, invites us to have an intimate relationship with Him? He makes it simple for us to do so. Knowing God intimately can transform your life into one of passion, joy, adventure, and peace.
The most important place we can turn to find the truth about what God is like is in His holy Word, the Bible. It gives us the most accurate picture of almighty God. I strongly urge you to ask the question, as you read this or any other book, “What does God say about Himself?”
Furthermore, it is crucial to view each of God’s attributes in light of the rest of His character. I hope you will take the time to explore how each attribute shapes the next. For instance, have you ever thought about the fact that if God were not holy, you could not trust His love to be pure and without flaw? Or if God were not absolute truth, you could not trust Him to always be faithful and keep His promises to you?
Only by understanding God’s attributes within the broader context of His other attributes can we begin to fully develop the depth of trust that will allow us to experience His peace each day.
Either your circumstances will determine how you see God, or your view of God will determine how you see your circumstances.
By Bill Bright
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