What is Good?

My daughters love cheap, square, frozen pizzas. Tonight as one was being eaten, my daughter made the statement of how good these pizzas taste. I can't say I agree with her. In fact, in my list of favorite pizza, this kind is very near the bottom of the list. I didn't really respond, but thought about how, to my daughter, these are delicious. I thought about how her experience with pizza does not equal mine. There are pizza adventures I've had that she can't even fathom. Then I started thinking about how this type of thing frequently happens to us in various parts of our lives. 

We often label something as "good" only because it is our only experience. Because we have never known anything different or better, we think of what we know as being the best. The sad part of this is how so many people settle for a life that is at the "bottom of the list" to those who know of better. We are content in our mediocrity simply because it is the life we have known. Even worse, we define something as "good" that was never intended by God to be something "good." 

What if what we spend so much energy fighting to keep is what God has deemed as the bottom of the list? I've personally been in relationships I thought were good, only because they were better than the last relationship or were on par, or better than the relationships of others I knew.  But God had SO much more for me! It wasn't until I sought God's wisdom regarding relationships that I started to see HIS best. When I was waiting for my husband, I knew I just didn't want "good." I wanted what God would describe as the best....for ME! 

Others come into our lives who will challenge us to move from what we see as good and attempt to show us better. How we respond to their advice and example is up to us. I am thankful for all those who have been bold enough to challenge me to try something new which led me to find better than what I previously saw as "good." The truth is, according to God's word, He wants to do so much more than we can imagine! He wants us to live a life beyond what we currently define as "good." The question is, how will we respond when He shows us there is more? What will we do when faced with a decision to stay in the current "good" when God is trying to move us into something better? Will we listen and respond accordingly? 

I pray for you to never settle for a life of square, frozen pizza living. 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Ephesians 3:20-21

How Do You Trust Again?

Trust is a crazy thing. When we are younger, we have to trust others in order to survive. We don't even realize we are trusting another person, it just happens naturally. However, as we grow older, we realize trust is not always a guarantee of someone upholding their responsibility. What happens over time is our ability to trust diminishes. As much as we want to trust others, our past disappointments cause us to question everything or doubt others will do what they've promised to do.

Broken trust in relationships has damaging effects. Sadly, it is usually not the person that broke the trust that pays the price of the let down, but the person who comes after the one who was untrustworthy. This is by far the greatest issue I have had to face within marriage. I spent many years single because I was not ready to trust anyone with my heart. I prayed many times asking God to heal me of the wounds others had inflicted through abandonment and abuse. When it comes to our issues, it is easy for us to think we have healed.....until we have to face our issues head on. When you are single, you don't have to trust anyone. Within marriage, trust is everything.

So the dilemma for me now really isn't about trusting my husband. It comes down to asking myself, "Do I trust God?" I know I do. I've trusted Him many times when making decisions that make little or no sense to me. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt He told me to marry the man who is now my husband. I had, and still have, peace about that decision. And yet, that doesn't mean doubt will not still creep into my mind. I will see or hear things and due to my past, my perception of these things will cause me to question what I'm seeing. While it is important to move on from our pasts, it is also the things from our past that can cloud our perception and judgement.

The question that remains is this: How do we move forward? I wish I had an easy answer. I don't. When it comes to trusting again, there is nothing easy about the process. Trust involves risk. It involves allowing yourself to be vulnerable. It means you have to believe in the goodness of another person enough to let them into the places you have kept locked. It means seeking God often to remember where your trust ultimately lies. It is remembering Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

If you've overcome trust issues, I would love to hear from you! How did you learn to trust again?