One to Trust Above All Others

There is a woman who is a distant relative of mine, whom I have met only on a few occasions, as our homes are even more distant than our family ties. She is a woman who, as I like to say, runs deep. She has a beautiful, loving soul, often apologizes for herself when there is no need to do so, and has no pretense about her whatsoever. She is a talented artist and a doting grandmother. Though we have seldom met, when we do, I feel a strong connection to her. We were sitting at her table once, sharing a cup of tea. She knew I had visited a church near her home the day before and she was asking what I had thought of it. I shared my thoughts. She wanted to talk more about it, I knew, but we both struggled with how to discuss the subject of Christianity. There was an awkward moment of silence.

"I think I should like to know more about it," she said, "but it is just too much of my father. I can't bring myself to..."

My heart was in my throat and I choked back tears. "When your father sinned," I answered, "God hated it. Every time he hurt you. Every time he let you down. Every time he ignored you and denied you his love, God hated it. He hated that sin so much that He sent His son to die for that sin and purge it away before He could ever let your father in his sight."

We both fell silent again and I thought she was about to cry. Then the phone rang and the conversation was ended.

I don't know exactly what this woman's relationship with her father was like. From what I can piece together, he was probably more neglectful than abusive. Perhaps stern, perhaps sometimes mean, but most likely he was just too self-centered and self-absorbed to give his daughters the love they needed. He was also rather famous once, a prominent writer and speaker, and as a result, often away from home. In their day his books were best sellers, though not many have heard of them now. I have a few of his books on my shelf, and I am struck by how self-centered they are. Yet, he was a deep thinker and a worthy philosopher. And, as you may have guessed by now, a Christian--a pastor, in fact.

This man represented Christ to his daughters. In so doing, he managed to alienate them both from the God he represented. He was internationally famous for his preaching and teaching, and yet, they were close enough to see his weaknesses. There was bad fruit on that tree, and they knew it.

So often we are hurt by people in our lives that let us down. It could be a parent, a pastor, a teacher, a spouse, a public hero or a friend. Perhaps there is no greater pain we can inflict upon another as when we betray a trust, when we who should be friends act like enemies. Yet we are fallen creatures, and even redeemed and converted souls are, in this life, bound to sinful flesh and prone to stumble. It is when we forget that truth and put too much trust in a person, and not enough in God, that we are most vulnerable to disappointment.

Any other view of man is unrealistic and unbiblical. The Bible tells us the tales of many human heroes, and yet it also tells us of the shortcomings of those heroes. Jacob was a schemer. David was a murderer. Peter denied the Lord three times. Yet all were used by an always-faithful, never-failing God to accomplish His perfect purposes. So we must view the heroes in our lives. The spouse we adore may let us down. The pastor we trust may betray us. The teacher who leads us may lead us astray. But if, when people do let us down, we can remember what the Bible says about man, we can say, "My Father told me it would be so. Let God be true and every man a liar."

I am not suggesting that we ought not trust others. However, we ought to beware of trusting others to such an extent that we are willing to abandon our consciences and the plain meaning of Scripture in order to follow them. In other words, we ought never trust a man more than we trust God and the Word He has given us. We ought to beware of becoming dependent upon any person to such an extent that we begin to confuse their word with the Word of God. Children are very vulnerable to this. My relative's rejection of God because of her father is a good example of this kind of confusion that took root in her heart as a child. Yet as adults we are not immune to it, either. How many cults gain the trust of adults and then convince them to trust their leaders rather than the plain meaning of the Scriptures that are before them? How many people send their money to television "evangelists" who convince them that sending them money is the equivalent of sending it to God, who will surely bless their faithfulness and return it to them a hundredfold? How many women are convinced that they somehow deserve the beatings they receive from their abusive husbands? How many people are willing to lie, cheat and steal in support of the political leaders they believe will make the world a better place? How often do we think that something must be true and good simply because we trust and respect the person who said it?

On the other hand, we also need to beware of rejecting the truth just because it is spoken by or represented by someone we cannot trust. My relative rejected the true things her father told her about Jesus Christ because she mistrusted the one who said them. How many people trust the television evangelist, and then, after they realize they have been taken, reject him and all Christianity forever? How many abused daughters reject men and marriage?

The solution to these errors is to remove our focus from men and return it to Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. As long as others are also focused on Christ, we can walk together. When those who once walked with us begin to stray, we can call them back, we can pray for their return, but we must not follow. We must keep our Savior in view and walk on the path He illuminates before us. When the day comes, as it inevitably will, that we are the ones who stray, let us hope that our friends will love us enough to call us back, and let us pray that God will not allow us to cause others to stumble.

Oh, if only we could always keep to the path! Yet, our wanderings are another reminder that we have not earned our way, nor kept our way, but Christ has supplied for us what we could never gain for ourselves. He is the One we can always trust, the One who will never let us down. The One we must trust above all others.

Comments

[Milton Stanley]

Amen, Dory. Keeping our eyes on Christ and walking in the light; that's the key. The trick is communicating that to those still hung up with the imperfect vessels representing Christ to them, isn't it?

[John]

This is a beautiful post Dory, but also a stark reminder to Pastors like myself, that LOVE begins at home. Thank you for this.
GBYAY

[Rodney Olsen]

As someone working in Christian ministry myself (not as a pastor) I am constantly hoping and praying that my life will draw my children towards Christ rather than pushing them away.

I realised, even before we had children, that my greatest minsitry will always be to my family. Living out that knowledge isn't always easy but it is essential.

[JD Wetterling]

Beautiful piece, Dory. Fits perfectly with a G.K. Chesterton quote a friend just sent along.

"Very few people in the world would care to listen to the real defense of their own characters. The real defense, the defense which belongs to the Day of Judgment, would make such damaging admissions, would clear away so many artificial virtues, would tell such tragedies of weakness and failure, that a man would sooner be misunderstood and censured by the world than exposed to that awful and merciless eulogy."

-- G.K. Chesterton

[William Meisheid]

Yes, we are all sinners and we cause a lot of people to stub their toes over the course of our life, for which we will be rightfully judged, though forgiven in Christ.

Having said that, not one soul, not one, will be lost due to any sin of any man or woman.

>after they realize they have been taken, reject him and all Christianity forever?

Not one that would not have rejected it otherwise. As Jesus said, "I didn't come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day." John 6:38-39

And he will, in spite of our sins and failures, for he is the author and finisher of our faith.

[Dory]

William, I agree with you that God will save all His own and no one can snatch them out of His hand. What comfort! Yet, I hope that God will give me good works to walk in that will call His own to Himself rather than use my shortcomings to give others a reason to scorn His name.

All to His glory!

[Randy]

I like your comments. We just had a special speaker at First Assembly this past week - Bob Tacket. One of his sermons was, "Be a good dog for God". It was a great sermon.
Randy

[Milton Stanley]

Dory, I'll be writing about your post at my blog Sunday or Monday. Peace.