Quiet Trust

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS
ANNE BOSARGE
REV. JAY HANSON

Isaiah 30:15 (CEV), “The holy Lord God of Israel had told all of you, ‘I will keep you safe if you turn back to me and calm down. I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.’” 

I (Anne) am an evaluator and assessor by nature. I think it’s the teacher in me. I worked as an elementary classroom teacher for seven years, then went on to write curriculum for the Department of Education. 

Assessment and evaluation are wired into my DNA. Because of this, when I’m going through hard times, I immediately find myself in evaluation mode. I start asking myself questions to figure out what got me into the situation, determine the root cause, figure a way out or around, and evaluate what lessons I can learn that will make a difference in the future. In other words, when I’m going through hard times, I get busy.  

I realize not everyone responds to trouble the same way, but most of us get busy doing something. Some worry the problem to death and become so consumed they can think of nothing else. Others ignore the problem and distract themselves with new possessions, experiences, and friends while they hope it will go away. Some don’t deal with the problem at all, but busy themselves expressing frustration about everything and everyone else. Still others find themselves busy in a pit of self-pity asking why and dwelling on what happened in the past. 

Whatever our personal approach to dealing with problems, most of us respond with some sort of busyness. We confuse busyness with progress. When we're in financial trouble, we bury ourselves in work. When we have relational trouble, we busy ourselves with friends and family to meet that need. When we're in the middle of health issues, we spend countless hours researching treatments and worrying. We seek to forget by throwing ourselves into other projects or commitments. Our minds become so consumed by thinking  about the problem that we’re paralyzed and unable to think about anything else. 

Not all of this busyness is "wrong," but it’s usually not best. What God wants most for us in times of trouble is to stop and calm down. When we quiet our souls in the midst of the storm and turn to Him, He enables us to see our situation from a proper perspective - His perspective. We’re able to set aside our own plans, worry, doubt, and fears so we can clearly see His hand in our lives, working things out for our good. When we are in the midst of busyness doing lots of things, we can't see the right thing. The frantic pace of our actions and thoughts clouds our judgment and prohibits us from knowing right from wrong; good from best. Busyness causes us to expend energy on things that will never produce health and peace in our lives. 

What does it look like to practice quiet trust in the middle of difficulty? 

• Quality time with God. Relish time spent in prayer talking to the Creator of the world who can solve any problem and fix every broken heart. Reading His Word will refresh your soul and give you the wisdom to make decisions in the midst of trials.
   
• Stop to rest. When you think you don’t have time to stop and take a break, that’s when you need it the most! In times of difficulty and trouble, make rest a priority.
   
• Spend time in authentic community with friends who can see things you can’t. During times of hardship, rely on Godly friends who can speak truth into your situation and see your circumstance from a different point of view.
  People who demonstrate quiet trust don't need to be busy in order to solve problems; they intentionally slow down and relax in the embrace of the Father. They rest in His wisdom and move when He says to move. Quiet trust produces lasting peace that can only be found in Him.
   

Jay Hanson, Lead Pastor, and Anne Bosarge, Multi-Campus Director, serve at The Chapel Ministries. They love sharing about the ways God is moving in their church. Contact them at jay@thechapelbrunswick.com and anne@thechapelbrunswick.com for more information.