Word: Can God Trust You?

 

Pastor Michael N. Henderson

By Pastor Michael N. Henderson
Shiloh Church of God in Christ

Scripture: I Corinthians 4:1-2

Trust is one of the essential foundational ingredients of any successful relationship.  Without trust, our human relationships are doomed to fail.   Trust is also the bedrock of our relationship with God.

However, when speaking of God, our tendency is to solely emphasize the necessity of our ability to trust Him.  The Bible is filled with verses on the importance of having faith in God.   However, rarely do we stop to think about the fact that trust is a two-way street.  In other words, while it is important to trust God, it is equally important to be found trustworthy in the sight of God.

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the Believers at Corinth, in I Corinthians 4:1-2, where he said, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and STEWARDS of the mysteries of God.  Moreover, it is required in STEWARDS that one BE FOUND FAITHFUL.”

Paul said that one of the requirements for Stewards, in the Kingdom of God, is that they are found faithful or trustworthy.  To be trustworthy means to be worthy of another’s trust.  Think about it for a moment……  Can God trust you?

Are you a person of such spiritual and moral conviction that God can trust you to do what is right in all areas of life?  Now, don’t answer too quickly.  This is a question with which all of us must wrestle, no matter how long we have been in the church.

The truth is that everything we are and everything we have belongs to God.  God is the Owner, and we are merely stewards (managers) of the resources that God places into our care (i.e.; time, talent, money, relationships, etc…).  As the owner of all things, God has a right to determine how His resources are to be used.  He has a right to redirect His resources in the direction of His will.

So, the question for each of us is….Can we be trusted to release and/or use His resources in such a way that is in keeping with His will?  Can God trust us to effectively and efficiently use the time He’s given to accomplish His expressed purposes in life?

Can He trust us to use the gifts and talents He’s placed within our life for His glory and honor?  Can He trust us to nurture the relationships, both personal and professional, that He’s placed within our life? Can He trust us to release His money, through the giving of our tithes and offerings to the local church, for the support of Kingdom priorities here on earth?

As we progress through each day, we must consistently ask ourselves these and many other hard questions concerning our responsibility to be faithful stewards in the Kingdom of God.  Every decision must pass through the filter of I Corinthians 4:1-2.

Remember, the blessed man/woman is the one that takes God’s resources and uses them wisely and in accord with His expressed will and purposes.  And God, the Owner and Master of us all, will always reward the faithfulness and trustworthiness of His people.