In 1986 Billy Joel wrote a hit single entitled – It’s a Matter of Trust. Here’s one of the lyrics: “Some love is just a lie of the heart. The cold remains of what began with a passionate start. But that can’t happen to us. Because it’s always been a matter of trust.”

I’ve been a Christian for 41 years. Jesus-followers learn early that the ground floor of a relationship with Him is really a matter of trust. You’d think that after 41 years, trusting God should be a done deal. That it wouldn’t need revisiting. The truth is that trust in our Heavenly Father is an ongoing journey.

Now… it’s not God’s fault that trust is an ongoing challenge. He is always good. Always faithful. But the truth is we don’t always understand Him. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. And good things to bad people. Life from our limited human perspective seems unfair from time to time. “If God loved me so much… why did He let this happen to me?” Ever said or thought that?

God wants us to trust Him. Trust is not denial. Trust doesn’t pretend that everything is wonderful in life. Denial and pretension don’t build our trust in God. Trust stays in touch with reality… it’s honest about what’s happening in our situation… but at the same time it believes that God cares and is working on our behalf.

So … how do we get to the place of trust? Let me offer three behaviors that move us in that direction:

Surrender

When my boys were little, we had a pool at our house. They would stand by the side of the pool, deciding whether or not to jump into my waiting arms. The wheels were turning in their little heads… “Is dad going to catch me if I jump in the pool?” “And what happens if he doesn’t?” Surrendering to God looks a lot like that. You jump into His arms and trust that He will catch you.

Stay tender

Trust grows when we refuse to allow the ugly parts of life to harden our heart. We live in the real world. Stuff happens. People disappoint us. Prayers don’t always get answered the way we hoped. The road to our dream often takes an irritating detour… or we hit potholes along the way that shake our confidence. Staying tender is easier when we take those disappointments, detours, and potholes to God in prayer. Talking to Him… and letting Him talk to us… keeps us from getting calloused.

Remember

I could tell you dozens of stories about God’s faithfulness over the past 41 years.  I keep a journal of these events to help me remember. When your trust is shaken… Recall the moments where God met your needs… when He protected you and those you care about. Remember the miracles… the prayers He answered with a “yes.”

On this side of heaven, you and I will never fully arrive when it comes to trust. If you’re struggling with it today… maybe you need to surrender. Jump off the side of pool and into God’s loving arms. He won’t drop you. If you’ve already taken that leap… perhaps you need to work on staying tender. Get close to Him through daily two-way conversation, and by feeding on His inspired Word. And if you’re a veteran Jesus-follower… maybe you need add remembering to your daily alone time with Him. Revisit the times He intervened, provided, and protected.

Because when it comes to following Jesus… it really is a matter of trust.