A well-loved Christian conference speaker once posed this question to me after his message: “Is there any sin in trusting God?”
Strange question, isn’t it?
The answer has to be, “No.” I know that. You know that. The man who posed the question knew it also. He only wanted to emphasize that the best action all the time, regardless of the circumstance we are in, is to trust God.
But . . . is that what we are doing?
We should be able to tell when we are not trusting him. Some time ago a minister from another country contacted me. He was extremely friendly, but I immediately suspected his motives. Sure enough, before we had exchanged three gracious lines, he was posing his desperate situation and asking for money. I took the opportunity to address this request which I get regularly from professing believers in poorer countries by sharing my true thoughts about how he had used our new relationship. I was kind in doing it, but truthful, and I was not comfortable taking this role, but compelled for his sake.
Regardless of the fact that there are legitimate needs in other places, I told this young man how it embarrassed me to read this request and to know that he was fishing the internet to find people to send money to him. Since I had been asked hundreds of times for help like this, and had seen firsthand what troubles this often causes in other lands, I felt I had a right to correct him in hopes that it would improve his future. His heart was all wrong in this matter.
I told him that he did not need to go back to school at my expense. Rather, if God did not provide the money either by trusting him for the job he needed or trusting him for unsolicited gifts, he should assume God has a higher plan. I spoke to him about how education isn’t helpful if it is gotten by “the flesh.” I tried to help him see that trusting God is the only way God is pleased. I tried to show him that his problem is not lack of education, but lack of faith and lack of diligence to study God’s word that he holds in his hand. I know that for some, asking is an option, but his heart was too far compromised to even consider that.
He was humbled in a good way, I believe. He promised to take my advice and never ask for money like this again. He hopefully will trust God and be content. I do know that I have more funds than he does. But I didn’t want him to spend the next fifty years bilking people and calling it ministry. Often, a much better gift for such people who are learning bad habits of extorting unsuspecting westerners is to teach them about the virtues of depending on God. That will supply him for the rest of his life, if he catches on.
But again, what about you and me? Are we trusting him?
I once inherited a member of a church who claimed he had a ministry of working with children. The fact is, he had very little actual ministry going on. But he used his “ministry” concept as a means of raising money to support himself. I felt strongly that he should spend the many hours he labored to raise money, with all the devices he could think of, to work a job. Then, on the weekends, he could provide his ministry to churches who might request his services. He rarely had any such requests at that time. His real ministry was raising money, and this was what he spent his time and mental powers to do. But ministry is not to be a way to make money but the expending of ourselves for the gospel and the church. He got very angry with me for this “insult” which belittled his “calling.” I had been gentle, but it would do him no good to let him continue in his deception as his pastor. I felt sorry for him, but his heart was very wrong in this matter. He was trusting his cleverness and other people, but not God.
Am I saying there is nothing about asking others to partner in a ministry calling allowed? Not really. In our ministry, we believe God has guided us to never solicit, but we do not believe this practice is commanded. God has provided every need over several decades now, into the millions of dollars without asking any person or entity for even a dollar. He has not been stingy or a hard master, but has confirmed his guidance through all these years, time and time again. We recommend such an approach for people doing what we do, because by doing so we can spend all our time in ministry and none in fund raising, and because we believe it promotes interest in trusting God as sufficient and loving toward his own people, but we do not demand it of anyone else. But we do press one thing: Watch your heart! Ministry is not a way to make money.
I remember an exhausted theology professor once saying, “I have to teach in churches around the country every week in addition to my classroom work because I cannot put bread on the table otherwise.” Do you see the heart issue in that statement? Is this why some men teach and preach? Is it about money?
Trusting God does not solely concern money, but applies to all aspects of life. It is a conscious decision to stop in our tracks and acknowledge God’s will and ways and provision. It is refusing to rely upon ourselves as if we really know what is best and have the abilities or resources required. It is not a dependence on others as our ultimate source. It demands that we see God as bigger than we have been seeing him, and ourselves smaller and in need. This conviction lies behind every person who wishes to please God . . . whether that person lives in the West or East or North or South.
This is a truism: “without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Heb 11:6). So do not let your heart be deceived.
Remember: IMPOSSIBLE.
For further reflection, read “The Life of Trust” https://www.ccwtoday.org/about/life-of-trust/