Trust in the Lord
Paul B. Pieper, of the Seventy
Elder Pieper emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord for spiritual growth and divine potential.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Topics
Understanding the Role of Trust in Relationships
Trust is the foundation of all relationships, including our relationship with Heavenly Father. This relationship can only be built when we choose to trust in Him.
Trust is the foundation of all relationships. A threshold question to any relationship is “Can I trust the other person?” A relationship forms only when people are willing to place trust in each other. It is not a relationship if one person trusts completely but the other does not.
A relationship can be built only when we choose to trust in Him.Key Points:
- Trust is the basis of all relationships.
- Our relationship with Heavenly Father is built on trust.
- Think about a time when you had to trust someone. How did it impact your relationship with them?
- Have you ever struggled to trust someone? How did you overcome this challenge?
- Reflect on your relationship with Heavenly Father. How has trust played a role in this relationship?
Heavenly Father’s Trust in Us
Heavenly Father has demonstrated His trust in us through His plan of salvation. He trusts us to make our own choices and to learn and grow from them.
For His part, Heavenly Father has worked from the beginning to communicate His absolute trust in the divine potential of each of His children. Trust underlies the plan He presented for our growth and progression prior to our coming to earth.
Every parent knows how difficult it is to trust a child enough to let them make their own decisions, especially when the parent knows the child is likely to make mistakes and suffer as a result. Yet Heavenly Father allows us to make the choices that will help us reach our divine potential!Key Points:
- Heavenly Father has shown His trust in us by giving us agency.
- He trusts us to make our own decisions and to learn from our mistakes.
- Reflect on a time when you made a decision that had significant consequences. How did this experience help you grow?
- Think about a time when you felt Heavenly Father’s trust in you. How did this impact your relationship with Him?
- Can you recall an instance when you had to trust someone else’s decision-making? How did this experience make you feel?
Overcoming Challenges to Trust in God
Life experiences can sometimes make it difficult for us to trust, including our trust in God. However, by learning more about Heavenly Father and His character, we can overcome these challenges.
The challenge is that we live in a fallen world and have all experienced a betrayal of trust as the result of dishonesty, manipulation, coercion, or other circumstances. Once betrayed, we may struggle to trust again.
If prior loss of trust is keeping you from trusting God, please follow Leonid’s example. Patiently continue to learn more about Heavenly Father, His character, His attributes, and His purposes.Key Points:
- Life experiences can sometimes challenge our ability to trust.
- By learning more about Heavenly Father, we can overcome these challenges and grow in our trust in Him.
- Reflect on a time when your trust was betrayed. How did this experience impact your ability to trust in the future?
- Have you ever struggled to trust Heavenly Father? How did you overcome this challenge?
- Think about a time when you had to trust Heavenly Father, even when it was difficult. What did you learn from this experience?
Learning to Trust God Through Trials
Trials often stretch our trust in God. By turning to Him during these times, we can learn to trust Him more deeply.
Our mortal life is a test. Challenges that stretch us beyond our own capacity come frequently.
One day the words “Don’t ask why; ask what I want you to learn” came distinctly into my mind and heart. Now I was even more confused. In the very moment I was struggling with my earlier decision, God was inviting me to trust Him even more.Key Points:
- Trials often stretch our trust in God.
- By turning to God during trials, we can learn to trust Him more deeply.
- Reflect on a trial you have faced. How did this experience stretch your trust in God?
- Think about a time when you turned to God during a trial. What did you learn from this experience?
- Can you recall a time when you had to trust God, even when it didn’t make sense? How did this experience impact your relationship with Him?
Trust-Stretching Experiences and Our Growth
God uses trust-stretching experiences to help us grow and realize more of our divine potential. Each time we trust Him, our relationship with Him grows stronger.
God invites us to grow by trusting His spiritual tutoring through soul-stretching experiences.
The good news is that regardless of the trust we may or may not have chosen to place in God in the past, we can choose to trust God today and every day going forward.Key Points:
- God uses trust-stretching experiences to help us grow.
- Each time we trust God, our relationship with Him grows stronger.
- Reflect on a trust-stretching experience you have had. How did this experience help you grow?
- Think about a time when you chose to trust God. How did this choice impact your relationship with Him?
- Can you recall a time when you had to trust God more than you ever had before? How did this experience stretch your faith?
