A few thoughts on trust

After spending a few days at home over the July 4th weekend, I found myself sitting next to Senator Bob Corker on a flight from Nashville to D.C. Correction. We were on the same row, just separated by the aisle. He was clearly reading over some important papers, making notes, and studying things far beyond my understanding. This got me wondering about how different our lives are. Because he's an elected official, everybody in TN who voted for him thinks they have the right to tell him what to do and how to do it. In some ways they're right. Voting someone into office does mean that we (theoretically) have an element of influence over them.

The funny thing is, I voted for Sen. Corker, primarily, because he agrees with my ideology of the function of government. And because of that common belief and his experience, I believed he could be trusted to do a good job. At no point in time did I ever think, I know more than Sen. Corker about politics and how this country should be run. The truth is, my understanding of politics is so simplistic that I voted for someone, not in order to influence or control him, but because I trusted him to do a job that I could not.

When I go to the mechanic, I like to have a basic understanding of what's going on so I can feel confident I'm not getting ripped off. If I need a plumber, I'd like him to explain to me in laymen's terms what the problem is so I can feel informed. I think the same goes with politics or any elected position. Do I need to be informed and try to understand what's going on? Absolutely! Will I ever be in a position to know more about lawmaking and the intricacies of economics than someone who devotes their time to reading and studying the subject? No way! I have to trust them to do what accords best with our basic premise of the role of government.

I doubt Sen. Corker would ever tell me his opinion of the correct Hebrew reading of a textual variant in Exodus 34 or the significance of an aorist verb in Colossians 3. I'd like to think that he'd be interested to read these passages, but I can't imagine he has time to study Greek or Hebrew.

So what's my point in all this? God has gifted each of us to work and excel in certain areas. We should no doubt expand our learning in a wide array of fields. But at the end of the day, I can't make all the laws in this country, or fix the engine in my car, or cut my own hair, etc... I have to trust others to do their job well. If they don't do it well, then they lose my business. But they never lose my business unless they've shown incompetency. And until they give me a reason to doubt their abilities, perhaps I should try trusting them to do a good job, 'cause they know a lot more about their fields than I do.

Being Baptist means that I highly value the self-government of churches. But we in the church need to take a lesson from the real world. Should we hold one another accountable to live lives pleasing to the Lord? Absolutely! At the same time, we should trust those in leadership to do what they've been called to do, particularly since in Baptist circles we voted them in to the job. How sad it is to place people into leadership positions only to shoot them down later for no good reason. There's a big difference between removing a leader who is clearly sinning or out of line with biblical principles and shooting him down like an enemy because he wants to start a new sunday school class, or maybe try some evangelism in the neighborhood, or heaven forbid use some new music that communicates truth and honors God in a culturally relevant way.

If God is among us, how can we not trust one another to accomplish His calling in our lives and the life of His church? Our lack of trust, in my opinion, can only mean one of two things: 1) We do not trust God and we have put our hope in man instead of man's creator or 2) God is not among us.

Clearly both options are bad. I hope that I can learn to better trust my fellow believers, those who are in leadership, and those who are not. May I ultimately look to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith. He will finish the good work which He has begun. He is trustworthy.

Lord, help me to trust you more and in turn trust your people, your church.

"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." ~ Ephesians 4:1-6