Character Education: God is Trustworthy
 

Character Education: God is Trustworthy

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclites once said, “Nothing endures but change.” If you’re like me, life experiences have taught you that change is not always for the better.

As a young adult, I was desperate to stem the tide of change—especially change that wasn’t my own choice. My own doubting nature and some upheaval in my personal life had left me feeling that I could trust no one but myself. I made a deeply-seated choice to guard my heard and never be hurt again.

Without realizing it, I extended that hardness of heart and distrust to God. I had no knowledge of His Word, and my tender heart was scared of being broken. I was afraid to trust Him because I assumed that He would let me down just as others had.

Out of that very painful time, God taught me three lessons that I carry with me today:

God is for me, not against me. Listen to what He said to comfort a scared group of Jewish exiles: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jer. 29:11). When your heart fears that you have been left to face this life alone, remember that God has not abandoned you! He wants to give you hope and a future. Deuteronomy 31:8 says that He will never leave you or forsake you.

God has no dark side. I John 1:5 says, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” God is not like people—He has no ulterior motives. With God, I don’t have to wait for the other shoe to drop. I can love Him wholeheartedly and without fear!

God’s love is perfect. The biggest hurdle for me was repairing my faulty notion of God’s love. 1 John 4:8 says that God is love, and verse 16 says that we can know and rely on His love. Rely was not a word that I would have used with love before, but the more I learn about the depth and perfection of His love, the more I understand that I really can trust Him. Now I can join the Psalmist in declaring that “the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Ps. 100:5).

It’s true that human love and faithfulness will sometimes fail us, but no matter what kind of hurts and losses we experience in this world, we can always depend on our God, whose love endures forever (Ps. 136).

Thank you, God, for being the rock upon which our hearts can build (Matt. 7:24-25). You are our constant and our comfort in a world filled with uncertainty and change.

Jennifer