• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrine’s perspective on a suggested subject. Every Friday, a topic is printed, inviting a response. Due to space limitations, submissions are
• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrine’s perspective on a suggested subject. Every Friday, a topic is printed, inviting a response. Due to space limitations, submissions are edited. Thoughts or suggestions for future topics are always welcome. Next week’s subject is on meals. The topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
Pastor Wayne Patton
Anahola Baptist Church
Trust God anyway. That was the resolve of the Old Testament hero, Job. Job enjoyed intimate friendship with God. He knew God. He trusted the Lord for a lifetime of blessing. Job’s instinctive response in his pain, suffering, and confusion was to call to God in worship, to say, “I’m going to trust God anyway.”
When a series of disasters struck, Job could say, “May the name of the Lord be praised.” When Job’s health was attacked, he could say, “Shall we accept good and not bad?” When Job’s friends proved to be miserable comforters, he could say, “Though He slay me yet will I trust Him.” When Job’s mind entertained doubts, he could say, “I know that my redeemer lives.” When Job searched for God’s presence, he could say, “He knows the way I take.”
In times of stress and strain, it is wise to adopt Job’s philosophy. We are only in this world for a short time. We are here on assignment. Our goal is not the accumulation of things. Our goal is to be content and frugal as we serve the Lord. When we have good days we thank God for them. When we have bad days we trust God with them. On both days we say, “May the name of the Lord be praised.”
I think it helps us during a difficult time to say out loud and even in the presence of friends, “I’m going to trust God anyway. He knows what He’s doing. He’s working all for good. In God I’m going to put my trust.
Kahu Harold Kalei Kilborn
Church of Koloa
A popular verse among Christians that deals with trust, is Proverbs 3:5 and 6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
A classic example of trust is found in Job of the Old Testament. In the very first chapter, his servants were put to the sword, fire burned up his sheep, and all of his sons and daughters were killed by a wind storm. This all happened in a 24-hour period. The first thing that Job did, after hearing about these terrible events, was to fall to the ground in great grief and worship the Lord. Listen to his statement. “Though He slay or kill me, I will trust Him.”
That is not some people’s attitude when considering their relationship with God. Some people say, “As long as I am healthy, I will trust. As long as I have prosperity, I will trust. As long as the cupboard is full, I will trust.” What about when you suffer disease? What about when you’re not prosperous? What about if you’re poor? What about when you have lost your job or your hours were cut?
It is easy to trust the Lord when you have full cabinets, full cupboards, enough food, prosperity, and good health. What about when you do not have those things? True faith or trust in the midst of adverse circumstances (pain, suffering, disease, lack of prosperity etc.) says, “I still trust that God is good, that God can heal, and that God is loving.” So even when your circumstances would dictate otherwise, true faith or trust in the Lord remains steady.
In closing, I would encourage you to read the 11th chapter of Hebrews, known as the “Hall of Faith Chapter,” where true biblical faith is exemplified. For faith or trust isn’t blind optimism. It’s not a hopeful attitude. Faith is believing. It’s trusting in someone, not something. Faith is only as good its object and the object of our faith or trust is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Kahu Dr. James Fung
Lihu‘e Christian Church
“It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this!” This is the inner cry of the soul of the person who feels disappointed, perhaps cheated by life. Is “betrayal” too strong a word? Maybe not.
We go through life, daring to hope that things might turn out well for us. Maybe even get a break now and then. Sometimes we even allow ourselves to dream of how things might be, with the new job, the new relationship, the new opportunity.
And then, something goes wrong. We find ourselves colliding with a reality we had not planned for. The dream never materializes. A sudden loss, a tragic unexpected crisis appears, and all of a sudden, the life that we dared to hope for has vanished.
Question. When there has been a history of disappointment, loss, and a felt sense of betrayal, how does one trust? How does a person trust that life can turn out to be promising? More importantly, how does a person who has known a lifetime of suffering, bitterness, loss, and betrayal find the way to trust in God?
Sure, we know what the Bible says, that we should trust in God with all our heart, and not depend on our own so-called wisdom, that God will direct our way along the path of our tomorrows (Proverbs 3:5-6). But that’s the thing, God can seem awfully silent, painfully silent when people most need help in the anguishing moments of their life. And rather than turning away from what they believe to be a silent and uncaring God or even a punishing God, they need to give God a chance. They need to resist the very understandable feelings that they are on their own, and say something like this to God, “God I have felt alone and abandoned, hurt and frightened, but I come to you in this hour of need. Show me the way; give me strength beyond my own; and speak to me of what I need to know and how to proceed for I am despairing and my way is unclear”.
Spiritual guidance is essential, and the Bible is not about simplistic answers to the complexity and complications of our lives. God does not promise to make our lives successful, comfortable, or predictable. But what we are promised is God’s assuring presence to grant us perspective, God’s strength for perseverance in the face of tremendous odds, and God’s enduring empathy that is embracing us whether we feel it or not.
Life is not easy. There are no simple answers. But we can trust the God who says that he will be with us always (Matthew 28:20), and we can trust that with God we can and will prevail over any challenge that life puts before us (Phil. 4:13).
Rebecca DeRoos
Science of Mind Practitioner
Having been a teacher in public schools I know well that a student must first trust a teacher before he can even learn and achieve. It’s not easy if there’s prejudice, because of the teacher’s race or appearance or presentation.
By the same token a teacher needs to trust and know that every child in his or her classroom is capable, no matter the race or style of clothing. Trusting is the key to acceptance of one another.
Trust takes time and effort with humans, animals, even plant growth. But, there is one trust we can always count on — Spirit/God. I smile when I think of our forefathers who had the courage and wisdom to add to each and every piece of money, “In God We Trust.” They know who we could count on to the point where even every penny was blessed with this recognition and still is.
For humans “trust” is a learned trait. For God “trust” simply is. There’s a saying in the Bible: “Ask and ye shall receive.” The key is to trust that God will give; but, even more importantly, to trust that you deserve. Then watch what happens. God loves us so much that we’re always given what we want — if we trust.
Trust becomes your fortitude and “letting go and letting God” your “lift.”
Topic for two weeks from today
•Will you speak to us on light?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
• Deadline each week is 5 p.m. Tuesday.