In our Tuesday Devotion this week we talked about the extra faith mileage you'll get if you read in "trust" every time you see the word "belief". Today I was out running and listening to a podcast wherein people talked about certain beliefs which, though bearing a Christian label, bordered on prejudice. As their words rolled over me I was struck by how certain they seemed of themselves, their opinions, and by extension of God. That's when it struck me that up until now in my theological life I haven't realized how far apart belief (as popularly defined) and trust can be.
My issue with belief comes when it gets married to certainty, as it did in this broadcast. In the common consciousness belief is defined as the enemy of doubt. The more you believe the less you doubt, the less you question, the less uncertainty you bear...or so the story goes. Thus you hear people exclaim "You need to believe harder" or "Just believe more and everything will become clearer and be OK".
Here's my issue: by definition the more of that kind of belief you have the less you need to trust! After all if you know everything, if you're sure of everything, then you've got it all handled and under control. You don't need anyone outside yourself. You don't need anyone telling you anything different than what you already know. In fact someone telling you different is a threat to your certainty, and thus belief. If the goal of belief is to become more certain then by extension the goal of belief is to depend less and less on anything outside of yourself and the construct your brain has built around your belief system. Perfect belief, then, would be such a strong internal certainty that nobody or nothing could touch it...or you.
The problem here is all the people you crowd out while pursuing this ideal of belief. A pastor preaches a sermon different than you expected? He must not be a man of God. A friend turns out to think differently than you on an important issue? They must not be a real friend. Your child's life takes a different path than the one you envisioned? Disown them. Ultimately your lack of dependence on anyone external extends to God himself. Who needs to read scripture when you already know what it says? What lack could God possibly fill, what aid or salvation could he possibly render, when you've already got everything down and fully under control?
When you've shut out God, what exactly are you believing in anymore? Is there anything sadder or more ironic than denying God by saying you believe in him?
Belief based on certainty is the enemy of trust. When you stop trusting God, stop needing God, you stop being in right relationship with God. This is why it's so critical to define belief primarily as trust, because with trust you can't go wrong. Trust means you don't know, you don't have it all handled, you aren't perfect in knowledge or any other sense but you know someone who lifts you up and sustains you anyway. That's belief...not when you "know" but when you don't know but trust anyway!
Think of all the arguments the Christian faith has experienced. Many have ended with the interrogative "Don't you believe in God and what he says?" or worse the accusation "You don't believe in God then!" How many of them would be better resolved if those statements were replaced by "We all need to trust in God, even in this circumstance"?
"I'm not sure whether this is right or wrong!"
Do you trust in God?
"I'm not sure what the right path is here."
Do you trust in God?
"I'm not sure where we've ended up. It's so different than I'm used to!"
Do you trust in God?
Trusting in God helps us understand that our answers in these situations aren't as important as knowing that we are taken care of, meant to live in love and peace, no matter where our journey may lead. Certainty of belief only works on one path...the path you've chosen, the path you "believe" in. Trust as belief works on every path, no matter where they may lead, no matter how certain you are of your surroundings or footing.
In the end, equating belief with certainty ends in weakness. Feigned strength becomes only rigidity and blindness when the fancy shroud gets removed. Equating belief with trust looks less sure to the casual eye but becomes the only true source of strength for the faithful.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranchurch.org)
