We have a little saying in our house that goes like this: "Trust is a must in our home!" My youngest son has this posted on his wall to remind him every day, and we pass around a "Trust Token" when we catch each other doing something that promotes trust. These things seem like very simple things to do, and they really are when you think about it. But it's amazing how effective they are in reminding us of the importance of trusting each other as a family. And I've tried to instill in both of my boys how important trust is in life because so many other things hinge of this simple concept. Over the last couple of weeks, we've been talking a lot about the issue of "trust" in Good News Club. And the life of Moses has been a great illustration for the kids to see that God can be trusted regardless of how hopeless the situation may seem and no matter how hard it may be for us to understand our circumstances. Moses would have had every right to not trust God. He had been on the run for murder for about 40 years, and was now returning to Egypt to free God's people. The Israelites had been held captive in Egypt for about 400 years. But God was about to set them free and Moses had been chosen to lead the way. This was not a mighty army and Moses was not the most menacing leader as an 80 year old man carrying a staff. But Moses' life remains as one of the quintessential examples of unwavering trust in God.
I believe that it's so important for kids to see us trusting in God. They need to learn it at a very early age, because as they grow older, they will experience more and more examples of trust being broken in people. We live in an imperfect world, and trust is not always an easy thing to freely give. Most of us deal with pain from broken trust, and it molds us into who we are. Unfortunately, it sometimes affects our ability to trust God.
Let me encourage you to allow your kids to see you trusting in God. Even if it doesn't "feel" like you're trusting Him, let it appear you are. They desperately need to see adults that trust in God, regardless of life's circumstances. When they see this, they see a God that is real, loving and concerned with their family. They see a God that can be trusted, even if the world sometimes let's us down.
Listen to these words from Proverbs 3:5 & 6. This really sums things up!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take."
