Creflo Dollar - What Is Real Trust?
I believe that one of the most used terms in Christianity is this term of "I trust God", and so tonight we're gonna talk about what that means. I wanna talk to you about not just the practical side of trust, but I wanna talk to you about what real trust is, because in this day and time that's the issue. It's like you can choose to trust God right now, or you can choose, you know, to trust in the systems of the world. And you gotta be very careful here, because if you make a choice to trust the systems of the world, those systems may fail. But when you choose to trust God, he never fails. But what does it mean?
It's too important for us to religiosize this phrase about trust, and so I wanna really dig into this. I wanna give you some pointers that will help you to evaluate whether or not you are in a real trust relationship with God, or you're just saying it but it's not being demonstrated in your everyday life. Now, we win, we're gonna win, we're gonna come out better, we're gonna come out stronger, we're gonna come out more spiritual, we're gonna come out more anointed, but I'm telling you in everything that I read trust is the currency in the kingdom of God. I'm gonna say that again over and over tonight. Trust is the currency in the kingdom of God. And currency is something that is used as a medium of exchange, and so you're trying to exchange what God has for what you have. And what you have is trust, and what God has is everything that you'll need that pertains to life and godliness.
So, trust is the currency in the kingdom of God, and we need to really get a hold of that, so let's begin tonight by, let's go to Proverbs chapter 3:5, and I wanna start tonight by let's give a definition of trust, something that we can refer to throughout this teaching tonight. Trust is - think about these words when I say this. It's reliance on the integrity, the strength, the ability, the surety of God. It's confidence. Trust is reliance or to rely on God's integrity, to rely on God's strength, to lean and to rely on God's ability, to rely on and have reliance on the surety of God. It's to have confidence. It is a confident expectation of something, and here's what I really like: to rely upon or to place confidence in. To rely upon, when you rely upon something, you lean on it.
Who or what are you leaning on in the midst of hard times, in the midst of lack, in the midst of hurt, in the midst of sickness and disease? Who do you lean on the most? Now, we're right in the midst. There's a battle of two systems here. It's the system of God, and it's the system of this world, and you're gonna have to choose. And I have chosen the system of God over the system of the world, and anything that's working in the world system came from God. Anything that's working in the world came from God. All good and perfect gifts came from the Father which is from above, and so we rely on him when you say you trust him. "I trust God", that means I rely on him. "I trust God", that means I have confidence in his certainty. "I trust God", I have confidence in his integrity. I have confidence in his strength. I have confidence in his promise.
That's what that means, but it's not enough to have just a mental assent of trust. How do I operate in this? And how do I know and have proof that this is something that I'm operating in? Well, Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 5 says this, he says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart". Man, that's powerful, because if you're gonna trust in God with all your heart, look at the rest of the Scripture. "And lean not unto thy own understanding".
You see, Christians have a tendency sometime to lean on their understanding, instead of completely leaning on God, and so you gotta decide that, when it comes to trusting God, "am I gonna trust him all the way, or am I gonna trust him 30% of the time and then trust something else 70% of the time"? And you gotta make your mind up. He says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart", so that's everything within me I'm gonna trust in God, and I'm not gonna lean to my own understanding. I'm not gonna lean towards what I understand about the thing. You know, you understand - maybe you don't have a job, but you trust God for provisions.
The world says, "Well, there's no need you doing that because, there's no other way for you to get provisions without a job". Well, you know, that's when you're doing it the world's way, but when I trust God, you know, until I can get another job, God's gonna take care of me. God's gonna make sure that things work out for my good, and that's the Bible. That's the promises that we stand on, and when you make a decision to trust God with all your heart, then he will come through for you. So, that's what the Scripture says here.
Now, let's look at some other things in Isaiah 26, verses 3 through 4. How do we know we have trust? Do I have trust or am I just saying I agree with that? You know, do I really have it? Look what he says in Isaiah 26, verses 3 through 4. He says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee". Now, what is it that can cause me to get my mind stayed on God, stayed on his Word? Well, what is it that will cause me to, you know, get in the Word and to get into prayer? He says, "Whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trust in thee".
When you trust God, you will decide to keep your attention on that which you trust. I trust God, so I'm gonna keep my attention, I'm gonna attend to the Word. I trust God, I'm gonna give my attention to God, I'm gonna fellowship with God, I'm gonna practice the presence of God. I trust God. As I trust God, I'm gonna keep my mind. Whose mind is stayed on thee, because you trust him. See, when your mind is not stayed on thee, it may be because you don't trust him. It may be because you don't have confidence in him. It may be because, you know, you're not relying on him. You're not leaning on him. Therefore, your mind is everywhere else, and so you've gotta decide, "I say I trust God, so therefore I'm going to keep my mind on the one I trust. I'm gonna keep my mind on the one I trust".
What are you giving your attention to the most? What are you giving your attention to the most? It may be because you trust it the most. I'm telling you every believer's gotta make a decision right now that "I'm gonna get focused in on God. I'm gonna attend to the Word, I'm gonna attend to prayer". Why? 'Cause he's the one I trust. He's the one I trust, so I'm gonna give my attention to the one I trust. And then, he says when you do that, that will also keep you in perfect peace. When you trust God enough to give your attention to him, he says that will keep you in perfect peace. It will keep you in perfect peace.
Now, this is something so very, very important now. Look at this next Scripture in Psalms 31, Psalms 31, verses 14 through 15. I'm just going through what the Word of God has to say about this issue of trust. It's vital that believers trust God, but know how to trust God. You know, I was ministering somewhere last week, and I said this. I said if God has made things available and you don't believe it enough to say it, then how in the world are you gonna take possession of it? If you want to keep things a secret, if you wanna keep something a secret, just put it in a book. For Christians, if you wanna keep it a secret, just put it in the Bible. And it's in the Bible and to a lot of us it's still a secret because we're not pursuing it. We're not pursuing to take hold of what has already been made available to us.
Look what he says in verse 14 and 15. He says, "But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God". "I trusted in you. I said, 'Thou art my God.'" What do you say in the midst of trouble? What do you say when things don't look like they go well? When was the last time you declared over a crazy situation, "Thou art my God, God, you're my God"? That's big. That may sound religious to a lotta people, but what that says is, "Even in the midst of this situation, thou art my God". You're declaring, "You're my God". Now look what he says in the next verse. He says, "My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from them that persecute me". "My times are in thy hand".
Man, this is a voice of trust. "My time is in thy hands: deliver me from the hand of my enemies". That's trust. I'm going to God for deliverance. I'm going to God for, "Deliver me from my enemies. Deliver me, and from them that persecute me". Deliver them that persecute me. That's what trust does. Trust goes for God. Trust says, "You know, thou art my God, so I'm coming to you for deliverance, and I'm coming to you for help. Thou art my God". That, you know, you can say, "I trust God", but when somebody looks at you with focus, will they hear you saying, "Thou art my God"? And will they see you leaning and relying confidently on him? Because that's gonna be the evidence of the trust that you have for God.
Look at Psalms 37 and verse 5, Psalms 37 and verse 5. Now, this is so, so important. I'm teaching on trust because I know you're saying you trust God. I just wanna make sure you can evaluate that, make sure you know that without a shadow of a doubt, "I trust God". Now, look what it says in verse 5. "Commit thy way unto the Lord". Have you done that? Have you committed your way and your plans unto the Lord? That's the one you say you trust. "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him". Well, look what it says. When you commit your way to the Lord, when you commit your plans to the Lord, when you commit your decisions to the Lord, when you commit your life to the Lord, he said that's trust. "Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass".
Now, that's what's exciting. I can trust God, knowing that he will bring it to pass. I can trust God, knowing that whatever I commit to him, it's gonna work. Have you committed your cares to him? That's why I said cast all your care on him because he cares for you. Have you committed your trouble to him? Have you committed the persecution to him? Have you committed the lack to him? Have you committed the relational, you know, discord to him? Have you committed the, you know, the hurt and the brokenness and the pain to him? Because you trust him, you will commit your ways unto the Lord. These are keys that can help you to evaluate and to authenticate your trust in God so you're not just saying, "I trust God". It can now be authenticated through have I committed my ways unto the Lord? Amen.
Now look at this Scripture, and then we'll go on. Psalms 40:4, Psalms 40:4. I want you to see that this is the practical side of your trust. Committing your ways to the Lord, you know, seeking him, these are practical sides of trust. Psalms 40:4. He says, "Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust". That ministers to me, the man that makes the Lord his trust. Have you made God your trust, or are you still trusting in things? Are you still trusting in people? Are you still trusting in your messed-up emotions? Have you made the Lord your trust? And he says, "Blessed is the man".
Well, look at that. He says the man that makes God his trust or the man that chooses to trust God will be blessed. The man that chooses to trust God will be empowered to prosper. The man that chooses to make God his trust, he says blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust. "And respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies". I tell you what. You wanna be blessed? The first step is, "I'm gonna make the Lord my trust".
And I'm sure it's so tempting to trust other things, other people, other systems, but I don't want you to forget, do not play this idolatry game with God, where you're gonna take God, who used to be first place in your life, and you're gonna replace him with something else or someone else. That's what idolatry is. I trust God. I lean on God. I trust God for wisdom. I trust God to show me what to do when I don't know what to do. I trust God for my healing more than I do the doctor. I trust God for my deliverance. I trust God for my peace. I trust God for my rest. I trust God to show me how to live life every day. I trust God that I'm not gonna go crazy, that God's gonna keep me sound. I trust God that I won't be sick and end up dying before my time. I trust God that he'll protect me when I'm flying over the oceans of the world. I trust God. I lean on him because I've come to the place of understanding that no man, no person, no system, no thing, no amounts of money, none of that will be able to do you like God will, and I put my trust in him, amen?
Now, let's get back to this phrase. Trust is the currency of the kingdom, "currency" meaning something that is used as a medium of exchange. You know, God's asking you to trust him. That's awesome. It's like this is a currency that anybody can possess. It's the currency of the kingdom. What has the kingdom made available to us? What is it that you lack in your life? And it's made available through the kingdom of God. Trust is the currency of the kingdom. Write that down, write that down, carry that with you for the rest of the week. Trust is the currency of the kingdom of God.
Now, let me show you something. When you say you trust God and you know it's the currency of the kingdom, healing, God has it, but trust is what's gonna bring about the exchange. Deliverance, God has it, but trust is what's gonna be the medium of exchange. Provision, God has it, but trust is the currency in the kingdom, the medium of exchange. Do you trust him? Wow, man, check this out. Trust God, and it's the medium of exchange in your life, and God has everything that you need, by the way. He has everything that you need. Now, look at this. So now, when you really get to that point you say, "I trust God", look at what I believe has to happen.
I believe the highest level of trust is in Hebrews chapter 4:11, and that's when you're really willing to rest, or to not stress, or to go into a place of ease, where you're not worried about God doing his part. Because when you are afraid of God not doing his part, then that fear is gonna move you into self-preservation, and you're gonna find yourself always taking it upon yourself to try to handle it 'cause you don't trust God is able to handle it. Verse 11 says, "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief".
You know what he says? A failure to enter into rest is an example of unbelief. Failure to enter into rest is an example of unbelief. Failure to cast your care upon the Lord is an example of unbelief. Walking around stressed out about the situation is an example of unbelief, and the Bible says that we should be working to stay at rest. And listen, Satan is not gonna roll out a red carpet for you. He's gonna try to attack you in every way possible to try to get you outta rest.
What is it that you've been hearing that's been tempting you to get out of rest? What is it that you've been seeing that's been tempting you to get out of rest? What is it that's come into your mailbox or your e-mail that's been tempting you to get out of rest? Satan knows that when you're at rest, he's defeated. It's one thing that Satan fears, is for you living a life in ease, a life where you're relying upon God. Don't you know that's the whole battle? Satan is doing everything he can to try to get you to trust him. And more than that, he wants you to not trust God and to not need God. He wants you to trust money more than you trust God, and that's the whole point. He's trying to get you, he wants your trust.
Satan wants your trust and what he does is he uses money, and you have a wrong relationship with money. You know what the love of money is? The love of money is when you trust money more than you trust God. You know what's on that? It's the spirit of mammon on that. To trust money more than you trust God, that's the love of money, and it is the root to all evil. The root to all evil is when you no longer trust God and when you no longer rely on God and wGodhen you no longer think you need God, and now you think that money and things and people, you think that those things will serve you better than .
Stay at rest. It's time for you to get into a place of rest, where you are resting in your confidence that all will be well. I mean no matter what's going on with the kids. They'll be fine. No matter what kinda notes you got in the mailbox saying they're gonna close this or take that. It will be fine. It will be fine, and that's how you rest. You live in a place of ease. You labor to rest.
To labor to rest may be you might have to sing your favorite song just to stay at rest. You might have to meditate on your Scriptures two or three times a day, meditate on that promise two or three times a day to stay at rest, 'cause when you can stay at rest, you are operating in a trust. You're operating in a place where at rest the currency of your trust will spend. I like that. The currency of your trust will spend, and it will be the medium of exchange for whatever it is you're believing God for, amen? If you understand that say amen.
Now, I wanna show you something here. I taught this in times past. I am almost sure people didn't get it, and I wanna bring it up again. Go to Saint John chapter 10, verse 25 and 30. Saint John chapter 10, verse 25 through 30, and this sets up the real position of who we are in relationship to our God where trust is concerned. I think you'll really benefit in this. Verse 25. Notice, "Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because you are not", watch this, "because you're not my sheep".
Now, I thought about that. He says, "You don't believe because you're not my sheep", so, obviously, understanding the position of a sheep is gonna tell us a lotta stuff. He says, "You believe not because you're not my sheep, as I said unto you". Verse 27, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them. They follow me". Jesus said, "Sheep follow me". He says, "You don't believe 'cause you're not my sheep". All right, go 29. Twenty-eight, "I give unto them eternal life; they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand". Verse 29, "My Father, which gave them me". Now, notice what it says. "My Father gave the sheep Jesus". "My Father gave them me", he says, "is greater than all", my Father, "and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one".
Now, let's just milk this just for a moment. What is the meaning of following him? Well, to many it means obeying Christ's commands. It means to follow his example or to follow his teaching, and that's what I got most of the time. To, you know, to follow him meant to follow his commands. It meant to obey Christ's commands, to follow his example, and to follow his teachings.