Our twin daughters Susy and Libby have always been close. Although they are fraternal they look very much alike. For most of their lives they shared a small nine-foot by ten-foot bedroom. When big sister Allison went to college, Susy took over her room. But many nights I heard a slight noise in the hall as Libby tiptoed to sleep in her twin’s room. They simply found comfort in being together. Of course they had the normal sibling fights growing up, but on the whole, they stood together against the world and often against us, their parents! They were and still are a team. Their personalities are different but they seem to complement each other. And when they are together they operate as a unit. Twins often have something very special the rest of us can’t quite understand.
In a similar way, trust and thanksgiving act as twins. They feed each other. They complement each other. When we understand this partnership we become the beneficiary. Both our trust in God and our gratitude towards Him will grow.
So often I struggle to trust. The more I try to trust God the more frustrated I can become. Frustration gives way to introspection and once more to self-condemnation. Why can’t I trust you in this situation, God? I should be able to. I am beginning to discover that if I focus on who God is—His character traits—and take time to thank and praise Him for them, my ability to trust grows. Too often our mentality is to try to work up trust and then if He comes through I’ll thank Him. But it is much easier to trust if we spend time thanking Him first. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and enough sleep enable us to have the energy to function well and grow properly. In a similar way, the practice of thanksgiving enables us to grow in trusting God more completely. In thanking Him we allow the magnitude of His goodness to over whelm us.
Author Sarah Young says, “Trust and thankfulness will get you safely through this day. Trust protects you from worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness keeps you from criticizing and complaining; those ‘sister sins’ that so easily entangle you.”
I readily identify with the father whose son was possessed by an impure spirit. When he brought the boy to Jesus he asked Him to have pity on him and help him, if He could. Jesus was quick to reply, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child exclaimed, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:23-24). Like this father I too want to believe, to trust Him more. What a relief to know He will enable me to trust Him more and more. When I take time to thank Him I am making deposits into a trust account. It is piling up. Thanksgiving and trust are twins that will enable growth as God does His work in us.
This is an excerpt from my book, Risky Faith.
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