Often when the world seems out of sorts, we wring our hands and wonder what we can really do. Recently I came across a list of action words in scripture, and I was encouraged to reflect and study around the action words in the verses. So, I will spend the next several weeks looking at these words through the lens of gleaning insight and putting the insight into action. The first verse has two great action words to reflect on: Trust and Lean.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Proverbs 3:5
This verse is set up as an either or proposition. Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. Verse 7 adds “do not be wise in your own eyes.”
There is a danger running rampant today in our society. There are a lot of people who are sure they know and understand what is happening. The problem is that there are two very different narratives that people are convinced of. The split in the narratives seems to fall along the right vs. the left or conservation vs. liberal disconnect.
The insight that I get as I sit with Proverbs 3, is that neither of these narratives are correct. There may be aspects that touch on truth, but God has an entirely different narrative. While the Bible explains the larger arch of God’s narrative, the details and behind the scenes developments are not fully revealed to any of us on earth, so there is a real danger in assuming we can know everything.
I have seen many people intertwine their faith with one of these worldly narratives at the expense of trusting in the mystery of God’s narrative. When we lean on our own understanding, we discount the mystery of how God is working and ultimately discount the mystery of His narrative.
It is time to evaluate our understanding of God and His narrative. Our understanding of God comes from our experiences and the lens we learn about Him, but those lenses are rooted in humanity. Human nature is to protect self by removing the mystery. This self-protection distorts our understanding and needs to be explored in a way that does not just confirm our way of thinking but allows us to learn and be transformed.
This week Richard Rohr shared the following thought. “there’s a difference between trusting God and trusting my understanding of God.”
The danger in trusting my understanding of God over trusting in God (the mystery in His narrative) is that we get distracted by a narrative that is not His. God’s narrative is telling His story, and His story calls us to love Him and love others. When we trust in our understanding, we miss opportunities to care for others.
Richard Rohr also shared this thought, “When we presume we know fully, we can be very arrogant and goal oriented at the expense of other people. When we know we do not know fully, we are much more concerned about practical loving behavior.”
How would embracing the mystery of God’s narrative, and accepting that we do not fully know and understand the details, change your action today?
Does this insight draw you into a new action this week? Should it?
What are some steps you can take to reflect on this insight and then act on that insight?
KATHY PIERBURG 