Approaching Valentine’s Day, much attention focuses on affections of the heart. Considering the fickle nature of often mis-placed affections, I wonder if a better endeavor might entail a survey of the things and people our heart trusts in the most. This Valentine’s Day give yourself the gift of 7 Marks of a trust-filled heart.
Every day we decide where to place our trust as we encounter trials, relationships, or uncertain times.
At times my trust attaches to people, things, or circumstances, while other times it rests staunchly in Lord. Still other times find me trusting in a little of both. Life continues to present the need for making the decision of where I will place my trust.
As my memory keenly reminds me of poorly placed trust in the past, the impact of where I place my trust moves me to consider how to nurture a trust-filled heart focused on God.
the nature of a trust-filled heart
While encountering people often who claim to have “trust issues” based in previous betrayals, truthfully, we all have trust issues. A poor understanding of and misplacement of trust is the driving force behind anxiety in many cases.
Trusting in our own wisdom only to end up failing, trusting the medical community, resulting in a poor outcome, or trusting someone in a relationship which deteriorates, are common to everyone.
Though these experiences may bring hesitancy to the heart’s ability to trust, we still place our trust in something every single day.
Even if you say you trust no one, you are still trusting yourself. The nature of a trust-filled heart is its intrinsic need to rely on something or someone.
A God Focused Trust
Instead of feeding mistrust by continuing to place my trust in the wrong places, the Holy Spirit invites me into a God focused trust.
People make mistakes. Which fuels misguided or broken trust.
But God never makes a mistake.
Which makes Proverbs 3:5-6 so powerful:
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Shifting to a God focused trust opens your eyes to God’s goodness in trial, and fuels Hope for the darkest times. Trusting the Lord with all your heart means you acknowledge His good plans for you, knowing He never wavers in His unfailing love for you.
7 marks of a trust-filled heart
Placing my full trust in God, trusting Him with all my heart, reveals my deep need for Him, and the faulty foundation of my own weaknesses.
Nurturing a God focused, trust-filled heart yields the following rich blessings:
- Deeper intimacy with God. Each time you choose trusting God over your own wisdom, you learn more about God’s good ways. As trust deepens, intimacy with Him deepens too.
- Peace and comfort in trial. Trust yields Hope. The Hope which never causes the shame of betrayal or rejection. Resulting in complete peace for the future and comfort along the hardest paths.
- Rest and renewal of body, mind, and spirit. Trusting completely in God moves you to a place of rest, renewing you completely from the stress of life’s hardships and decisions.
- Stronger dependency on God. Each step into deeper trust in God, also frees you from the bondage of self-reliance.
- Experience of God’s unfailing love. From a place of full trust, we experience God’s unfailing love, through His constant Presence, Provision, and Protection.
- Demonstration of your love for God. Choosing to trust God with your whole heart, demonstrates your love for Him as you in essence, entrust Him with the fragility of your heart.
trusting God with your heart
Exploring my own “trust issues” revealed not only my need to trust in the Lord with all my heart, (Proverbs 3:5-6) but to trust Him with my heart.
The choice to trust in the Lord especially in uncertain or hard times, means I trust Him with the outcome. But trusting Him with my heart means I also trust Him with my love and emotional well-being.
This Valentine’s Day, as you ponder the directive of Proverbs 3:5-6, why not gift the Lord not only your trust, but your heart?
If you enjoyed reading this post, there’s more! Sign up for my monthly newsletters; a little slice of serenity delivered right to your inbox! As my “Thank-you” you will receive my FREE “Hope in Hard Times Guide” for signing up!
My goodness, Donna, this post is powerful. These words–“…we all have trust issues. The nature of a trust-filled heart is its intrinsic need to rely on something or someone.”
Thank you, God, that we can trust you with every detail of our lives.
Blessings to you friend,
Tammy
Thank you, Tammy, all praise be to God for His empowering me to write it! And praise God He understands our trust issues and invites us into a place of complete and perfect trust.
I never thought of it that way but you’re right. We all really do have trust issues. It is so comforting to know and be known by the one who’s love is like no other. Thank you for hosting this great community of friends.
Paula, I used to debate whether I had trust issues, and whether I do with people, I’m still not sure, but I KNOW I have trust issues with God! Yet His patience continues to gently encourage me to take baby steps of trust in our relationship!
Donna, this is beautiful and one of my favorite verses. It brings such comfort when I trust in the Lord with my whole heart! Thank you for this pointing us here on this Valentine’s Day!
Thank you, Deborah, it IS a wonderful feeling of comfort when we rest in complete trust of the Lord!!
This is such a kind post, Donna. It’s such a comfort to remember that trusting the Lord isn’t a one-and-done decision, but rather a daily walk. I also appreciate the distinction between trusting in the LORD with my heart and trusting HIM with my heart. Sending you a warm hug this Valentine’s Day, dear friend.
Thank you, Lois, I appreciate your encouraging comment. That truth of learning to trust God both in and with my heart has been one I meditate on regularly! Happy Valentine’s Day hugs to you, too my sweet friend!
Trust is a strange action Donna, one that can oscillate with our emotions.
But then there’s God who is steadfast, the One who we know who will never leave us & the One whose love for us will never change.
And that is so comforting & more then worthy of our Trust.
Blessings sweet friend,
Jennifer
Jennifer, I agree, I can see that very wavering in my own trust walk. At times I trust easily, while others I falter. I praise God for His faithfulness and steadfast ways!!
It was a surprise to me when I first became a Christian that the initial decision to trust Christ had to continually be renewed. Not that I needed to get saved over and over, but I needed to often intentionally set my trust in Him and not in self or anything around me. Now I am more used to the idea, but still have to remind myself to “turn my eyes upon Jesus.”
Barbara, so true, I have had the same thoughts. That initial “trust” we placed in God for our salvation must be time and again renewed and placed in His hands along the hard and dark paths.
Got no choice now but to trust
the God that is author of me,
ash to ashes, dust to dust,
and that’s the way it has to be.
Thought that maybe by my strength
I could kill the killing cancer,
but this didn’t work at length,
and now I have the final answer,
that even though I am not healed,
even though it’s getting worse,
I’m judged on the times I kneeled
and that my soul forbore to curse
the fell dark blade that brought me grief
in favour of faith and belief.
Absolutely beautiful and profound words, Andrew. I am both humbled and privileged to read them here on my blog. I believe as you intimate, we WILL be rewarded for our trust however small, and never judged. I thank you for your incredible testimony of trusting the good and sovereign hand which so far has fore born to bring healing on this earth for you.
“Instead of feeding mistrust by continuing to place my trust in the wrong places, the Holy Spirit invites me into a God focused trust.” I am most grateful for the invitation given to me many years ago to trust God with my heart and life, as I am always safe and cared for with Him. Happy Valentine’s Day, Donna!
Joanne, the invitation to trust God for salvation is the best invitation I have ever received! And with each trial and hard path, that invitation continues to surround me in the Father’s love!