Regarding patience, we have often heard thoughts such as these:
“Too often we pray to have patience, but we want it right now!” 1
“We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.” 2
What do we learn from these thoughts? Quite simply, we learn that in order for patience to be properly developed, we must be put into situations where exercising patience can be extremely difficult.
Consider Abraham. He and Sariah desired a child. Yet they both aged well beyond their child-bearing years. What situation could be more difficult to exercise patience in than this one?
Here is a framework for abstracting these thoughts: “Patience is best tested and developed when patience is needed most, and yet when patience is the most difficult thing to exercise, because the effectiveness and use of patience has been called into question in our minds, and because patience appears to be the last thing that we need, and because the call for patience seems to be coming at exactly the wrong time—at a time when patience seems potentially harmful for us.”
This framework can apply to so many Christlike attributes. This blog entry will consider this framework in the context of trust. Reworded for trust, this framework reads: “Trust is best tested and developed when trust is needed most, and yet when trust is the most difficult thing to exercise, because the effectiveness and use of trust has been called into question in our minds, and because trust appears to be the last thing that we need, and because the call for trust seems to be coming at exactly the wrong time—at a time when trust seems potentially harmful for us.”
“Too often we pray to have patience, but we want it right now!” 1
“We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.” 2
What do we learn from these thoughts? Quite simply, we learn that in order for patience to be properly developed, we must be put into situations where exercising patience can be extremely difficult.
Consider Abraham. He and Sariah desired a child. Yet they both aged well beyond their child-bearing years. What situation could be more difficult to exercise patience in than this one?
Here is a framework for abstracting these thoughts: “Patience is best tested and developed when patience is needed most, and yet when patience is the most difficult thing to exercise, because the effectiveness and use of patience has been called into question in our minds, and because patience appears to be the last thing that we need, and because the call for patience seems to be coming at exactly the wrong time—at a time when patience seems potentially harmful for us.”
This framework can apply to so many Christlike attributes. This blog entry will consider this framework in the context of trust. Reworded for trust, this framework reads: “Trust is best tested and developed when trust is needed most, and yet when trust is the most difficult thing to exercise, because the effectiveness and use of trust has been called into question in our minds, and because trust appears to be the last thing that we need, and because the call for trust seems to be coming at exactly the wrong time—at a time when trust seems potentially harmful for us.”
Three Examples
Job:
Job was given an extremely difficult set of trials all at once; family loss, health issues, financial troubles, betrayal by friends, etc. Did Job deserve any of this? Of course not. How difficult was it for Job to trust in God after all of these crippling trials came upon him, and God did nothing to stop them? Maybe God even played a part in bringing some of them upon him. The effectiveness of trusting in God was certainly brought into question in his mind. The timeliness of being asked to trust in God could not have been more difficult and painful. And yet, because of all of this, this was the precise moment when the purest, truest level of trust could be developed and proven. Job summarized the situation perfectly: ‘Though the Lord slay me, yet will I trust in Him.’ How difficult would it be to trust in someone who could potentially slay you? Yet Job still chose to trust!
Joseph Smith:
Joseph Smith suffered for many long months in awful conditions in a prison cell while his people were being driven from their lands in the bitter cold of winter. Did Joseph or the Saints deserve any of this? Of course not. How difficult was it for Joseph to trust in God after all of these crippling trials came upon him, and God did nothing to stop them? Not only so, but God prolonged the answers to Joseph’s most sincere pleadings. The effectiveness of trusting in God was certainly brought into question in his mind. The timeliness of being asked to trust in God could not have been more difficult and painful. And yet, because of all of this, this was the precise moment when the purest, truest level of trust could be developed and proven. Joseph still chose to trust, because he knew that even though ‘he was cast into this awful pit, and into the hands of murderers, and the very powers of hell attacked him and the Saints, yet all these things would be for his good and help him develop trust.’
Jesus Christ:
In Gethsemane and on the cross, our Savior suffered the most excruciating pains ever. No one can even begin to properly describe this suffering. And at the end of it, at the very worst of it, at the moment of greatest physical weakness, God removed His Spirit from the Savior. Did the Savior deserve any of this? Of course not. How difficult was it for Christ to trust in God after all of these crippling pains came upon him, and God even finally removed His Spirit from Jesus? The effectiveness of trusting in God was certainly brought into question in His mind. The timeliness of being asked to trust in God could not have been more difficult and painful. And yet, because of all of this, this was the precise moment when the purest, truest level of trust could be developed and proven. And Jesus showed us the perfect example of what we should do in these most trying of circumstances. He cried unto God in prayer. He prayed to the very Being that He felt was at that moment forsaking Him! Let it be repeated, He prayed to the very Person He felt was at that moment forsaking Him! Though God seemed to forsake Jesus, Jesus would not forsake the Father! What trust this shows! How difficult would it be to trust in someone who is forsaking you? Yet Jesus still chooses to trust!
We usually know how God operates. But nothing tests our faith and trust more than those times when it appears that the laws that God operates upon are seemingly suspended, and we have to ask in total bewilderment, “Why?” “Why hath God hedged me in?” “Oh God, where art thou?” “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Why are the rules suddenly changing?
Will we still continue to trust in God though He slay us, though He hedge us in, though He forsake us? And let us remember, as difficult as these situations will be in our lives, this is when the purest and truest level of trust can be developed.
We usually know how God operates. But nothing tests our faith and trust more than those times when it appears that the laws that God operates upon are seemingly suspended, and we have to ask in total bewilderment, “Why?” “Why hath God hedged me in?” “Oh God, where art thou?” “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Why are the rules suddenly changing?
Will we still continue to trust in God though He slay us, though He hedge us in, though He forsake us? And let us remember, as difficult as these situations will be in our lives, this is when the purest and truest level of trust can be developed.
Two Final Analogies
Fences:
"In life each of us builds a fence around our hearts. We do this naturally as we move through childhood into adulthood. We learn that people can say or do things that make us feel better about ourselves, or they can say or do things that are hurtful and humiliating...
“Every day we do or hear things which remind us that to some degree we are all awkward, inadequate, bumbling, imperfect, inferior, and vulnerable beings. This realization is humbling at best and painful at worst. But we are influenced by more than just negative experiences. Some things that lie deep within us—dreams, aspirations, inadequacies—are so intensely personal that we guard them carefully, hiding them behind invisible barriers until we are sure that we can fully trust that if we do reveal them, doing so will not bring us pain or betray our trust.
“This is what we mean when we say that each of us has a fence around our heart. However, the nature of that barrier varies considerably from person to person... in some cases the fence erected around the heart is a low picket fence with daisies growing along it. On the gate is a welcome sign, and the gate swings open easily. Other hearts are surrounded by an eight-foot-high, chain-link fence with a padlocked gate. Instead of daisies, the fence is topped with razor wire and patrolled by guard dogs. Sometimes such formidable defenses develop because of years of hurt and betrayal." (Elder Lund, Hearing the Voice of the Lord.)
When we are asked, even guided, to go through painful experiences by the Lord, it can sometimes be damaging and difficult on the psyche, and can injure one's ability to trust the Lord. This seems painful and strange to say, but it is nonetheless true. Given what we know about these fences that we build up around our hearts, how easy would it be to create a razor wire fence if the Lord purposely chose to lead us into extremely difficult and painful trials? Yet how important it is to continue to trust the Lord; to continue to have a pleasant picket fence that the Lord is always welcome to enter.
Trusting when it feels like trust has been broken is extremely difficult. Herein lies the paradox of trust. The strongest and most enduring trust is developed when it feels like the Lord is forsaking us, and yet we still choose to fully and implicitly trust in Him. This type of trust is developed when it feels like everything we experience with God would seem to indicate that we should build up a razor wire fence to greet Him, and yet we still choose to have a picket fence welcoming Him.
The stronger our trust is and needs to be, the more difficult it will at times be to trust!
“Every day we do or hear things which remind us that to some degree we are all awkward, inadequate, bumbling, imperfect, inferior, and vulnerable beings. This realization is humbling at best and painful at worst. But we are influenced by more than just negative experiences. Some things that lie deep within us—dreams, aspirations, inadequacies—are so intensely personal that we guard them carefully, hiding them behind invisible barriers until we are sure that we can fully trust that if we do reveal them, doing so will not bring us pain or betray our trust.
“This is what we mean when we say that each of us has a fence around our heart. However, the nature of that barrier varies considerably from person to person... in some cases the fence erected around the heart is a low picket fence with daisies growing along it. On the gate is a welcome sign, and the gate swings open easily. Other hearts are surrounded by an eight-foot-high, chain-link fence with a padlocked gate. Instead of daisies, the fence is topped with razor wire and patrolled by guard dogs. Sometimes such formidable defenses develop because of years of hurt and betrayal." (Elder Lund, Hearing the Voice of the Lord.)
When we are asked, even guided, to go through painful experiences by the Lord, it can sometimes be damaging and difficult on the psyche, and can injure one's ability to trust the Lord. This seems painful and strange to say, but it is nonetheless true. Given what we know about these fences that we build up around our hearts, how easy would it be to create a razor wire fence if the Lord purposely chose to lead us into extremely difficult and painful trials? Yet how important it is to continue to trust the Lord; to continue to have a pleasant picket fence that the Lord is always welcome to enter.
Trusting when it feels like trust has been broken is extremely difficult. Herein lies the paradox of trust. The strongest and most enduring trust is developed when it feels like the Lord is forsaking us, and yet we still choose to fully and implicitly trust in Him. This type of trust is developed when it feels like everything we experience with God would seem to indicate that we should build up a razor wire fence to greet Him, and yet we still choose to have a picket fence welcoming Him.
The stronger our trust is and needs to be, the more difficult it will at times be to trust!
Building a Legal Case:
Lawyers build their legal cases with evidence and arguments to either prosecute or defend a client. When we go through difficult experiences, do we build a case for or against the Lord? This is at the heart of whether we trust in Him.
When a married couple desiring children are temporarily denied this blessing, how easy would it be to build a case that they should have kids? They would make amazing parents. They have waited and suffered patiently and righteously. They have a loving relationship, and a home that embraces and loves the gospel; a home that would be the perfect environment to raise a child, especially as compared to other homes a child could be raised in.
Jesus, most of all, could have built the perfect case as to why the Spirit should not be removed from Him. He could have masterfully argued His case. He could have appealed to His sinless and perfect life. Yet, He had to exercise trust and believe that the Father's chosen path for Him was the best path possible.
Think of one of the last difficult experiences you had to endure. Did you believe that the trial was unnecessary; that you would currently be just as faithful and tempered without the trial; that an easier path would have provided just as much righteousness as the trial did, but without all the pain? Are you building your case against the Lord?
If we truly trust the Lord, would it not be better to think that you needed the trial in order to stay true to the gospel; that it was necessary in order to make you a better person; that you could not have developed Christlike attributes in any other way? Are you building your case for the Lord?
And yet, given all of this, when we reach a point where we are quite certain that a particular path is detrimental to us, but the Lord has determined that this path is the best path for us, how difficult it is to trust.
Intellectually, trust is such a simple concept. A loving, omniscient Father knows best, so we should trust in Him. But in the moment, emotionally, trust can become such a difficult and confusing and complex concept. But the more emotionally challenging it is, the more our trust will be perfected!
When times of "my path versus God's path" arrive, we could make an excellent case for our path. And the fact that such an excellent case could be made makes the difficulty of exercising trust all the more intense. Will you trust in the wisdom of men or the wisdom of God?
Are we ever a little nervous to ask the Lord what He wants from us because we are afraid of the answer? When it comes to the Lord, what do we have to fear? Trust in God, though He slay you.
If you ever find it difficult to trust, take comfort and remember that the same principles that apply to patience apply to trust as well. If you are always immediately given what you want, there is no opportunity to develop patience. If you never have a reason to doubt or distrust the Lord, then it would always be easy to trust the Lord and you would never have opportunity to develop trust.
When a married couple desiring children are temporarily denied this blessing, how easy would it be to build a case that they should have kids? They would make amazing parents. They have waited and suffered patiently and righteously. They have a loving relationship, and a home that embraces and loves the gospel; a home that would be the perfect environment to raise a child, especially as compared to other homes a child could be raised in.
Jesus, most of all, could have built the perfect case as to why the Spirit should not be removed from Him. He could have masterfully argued His case. He could have appealed to His sinless and perfect life. Yet, He had to exercise trust and believe that the Father's chosen path for Him was the best path possible.
Think of one of the last difficult experiences you had to endure. Did you believe that the trial was unnecessary; that you would currently be just as faithful and tempered without the trial; that an easier path would have provided just as much righteousness as the trial did, but without all the pain? Are you building your case against the Lord?
If we truly trust the Lord, would it not be better to think that you needed the trial in order to stay true to the gospel; that it was necessary in order to make you a better person; that you could not have developed Christlike attributes in any other way? Are you building your case for the Lord?
And yet, given all of this, when we reach a point where we are quite certain that a particular path is detrimental to us, but the Lord has determined that this path is the best path for us, how difficult it is to trust.
Intellectually, trust is such a simple concept. A loving, omniscient Father knows best, so we should trust in Him. But in the moment, emotionally, trust can become such a difficult and confusing and complex concept. But the more emotionally challenging it is, the more our trust will be perfected!
When times of "my path versus God's path" arrive, we could make an excellent case for our path. And the fact that such an excellent case could be made makes the difficulty of exercising trust all the more intense. Will you trust in the wisdom of men or the wisdom of God?
Are we ever a little nervous to ask the Lord what He wants from us because we are afraid of the answer? When it comes to the Lord, what do we have to fear? Trust in God, though He slay you.
If you ever find it difficult to trust, take comfort and remember that the same principles that apply to patience apply to trust as well. If you are always immediately given what you want, there is no opportunity to develop patience. If you never have a reason to doubt or distrust the Lord, then it would always be easy to trust the Lord and you would never have opportunity to develop trust.
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