Sometimes when I look up from the Bible, I get discouraged. Scripture describes what our lives could look, and I am excited about the picture. Then I see what we've made of it, and I lose heart. I often respond to this by taking the burden onto my shoulders to fix the world.
This weekend we had a teen retreat at Camp, and it became clear that I am not the only one who loses hope when faced with the reality of the sinful world around us. The girls cabins spent some time in reflections on Friday night thinking about the parts of their life where they need to trust God's will, and rest confidently in him. (Normally, we don't share reflections, but since they chose to post their reflections in the dining hall on the wall for everyone to see...)
There are times that you probably look around and don’t notice God at work. There are times when you feel like he hasn’t given enough evidence of his power and control. So many things happen that shouldn’t. Things don’t seem to make sense. Things don’t fit in with your plan.
And so you doubt God. You give up on him, and think that you need to go elsewhere to find peace. Maybe in your own accomplishments, or your relationships, or you escape into your pastimes.
The truth is that our giving up, our giving in, demonstrates a lack of trust in God. This isn’t surprising I guess. Not trusting was the first sin. Really all sin is about not trusting.
