In the CREATION Health acronym, “T” is for Trust. Trust implies relationship. It is a condition enjoyed by people who rely on each other for mutual benefit. The idea of trust paints two very vivid pictures in my mind: First the image of an infant being nursed by his mother while he gazes into her eyes. That picture conveys to me the complete and unwavering trust that little baby has in his mother to take care of him. The second picture is of a lamb in the arms of a shepherd which also presents the idea of complete confidence in the shepherd to take care of his little lamb.
Are there people on whom you rely? Have they ever let you down? Have you ever let them down? The reality that we are forced to deal with as humans is that we don’t always come through for those who place their trust in us. We forget to keep our promises. We get caught up in the demands of our responsibilities and deadlines. We run out of time. And sometimes we just don’t feel like doing it, whatever it is.
Webster defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” Since we have established that we cannot completely trust ourselves because we will fail each other from time to time, whom then can we trust? Is there one whose character, strength and ability are completely trustworthy? Psalm 90:1, 2 says, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”(NKJV) Now that sounds like someone I can trust. He has existed forever and has the power to create the world from nothing.
The power of “Trust” resides in the object of our trust. If I put my trust in an all powerful God it gives me a can-do attitude because He can do anything. The New Testament makes it even clearer, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV. Trusting in God gives me the power to get out of bed on days when things are not going well. Trust in God gives me the courage to attempt big things that seem completely out of my reach because I know they are not out of God’s reach. Trust in God gives me the confidence that things will work out somehow even when my situation is so dark that I can’t see past the end of my nose. Trusting in Divine power doesn’t mean things will never go wrong—it means that when they do, I can have hope that they will work out.
The benefits of “Trust in Divine Power” go beyond the spiritual and emotional. Research has shown that trust in God can lengthen your life and improve your physical health. The Oxford University Press Handbook of Religion and Health, published in 2001, presented the results of a review of 1,200 published studies in the fields of physical, mental and social health, which found, “…that the majority of studies indicate that religiousness is associated with less coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, immune system dysfunction, cancer and functional impairment, fewer negative health behaviors (e.g., smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and sedentary lifestyle) and lower overall mortality.”
According to John the Gospel writer, Jesus said these words, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Not only does Jesus desire this for us but through the principles of CREATION Health, found in the Genesis account of creation, He has given us a plan through which we can experience that abundant life. Make the choice today to live your life to the fullest. God wants that for you.
Guest author Mark Stoddart, M.Div., is administrative director for Spiritual Wellness at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.
Shawnee Mission Medical Center offers a series of lifestyle transformation classes using the CREATION Health principles. For more information, visit ShawneeMission.org/CreationHealth.
