Episode #27: Trusting In God and the Lies We Believe That Keep Us From Doing It

Today is the Burnout series finale and we’re talking about trust -- a topic that ties everything we’ve been thinking about this past month together and also introduces our next series which is about the lies we work-at-home women sometimes believe.

Note:

The Theme of the Month is Burnout and the  Word of the Week is trust. Following is the corresponding devotional -- in transcript format. Mentioned resources and links from the Desk to Desk audio only segment are at the end of the devotional.

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TRUST.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

But wait? What am I to trust Him for? Well, friend -- that’s where a little review comes in. For the past month, we’ve had a word for every week to keep us focused on fighting burnout. 

Listen for the promises we’ve looked at throughout these last few episodes. 

Ep. 23: Still. 

Psalm 46:10-11

“Be still, and know that I am God.I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Ep. 24: Rest.

 Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Ep. 25: Renew.

Isaiah 40:31 

They who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. 

Ep. 26: Help. 

Romans 8:23-26.  

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words

So this week -- our final week in our burnout series -- our focus is on the word trust and what it looks like to trust God to fulfill all these promises -- of His presence and His help and His rest.

Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us the very basic and extremely uplifting truth that when we trust in the Lord rather than ourselves, we will always know the next step we need to take in every aspect of our life -- personal or business-related. and it’s going to be the right step because it’s where God wants us to step. This is huge! And you know what else this means? I believe this -- trusting God --  is also a cure for unnecessary burnout.

Let me clarify: Sometimes tasks God gives us will exhaust us -- serving others isn’t always easy. And it may require physical sacrifice but not one that keeps us down physically and spiritually like burnout does -- when we examine the root cause of bonafide burnout, it is often our failure to trust in the Lord completely. In other words, we’re trusting in our fallible, weary selves more than our omnipotent God. 

In Jeremiah 17 we see a striking picture of what it looks like to trust in yourself vs. what it looks like to trust in the Lord. 

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

    and makes flesh his strength,]

    whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He is like a shrub in the desert,

    and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

    in an uninhabited salt land.

You know what? Sounds a lot like burnout, doesn’t it?

If you want to know a more vivid description of what it looks like to trust in the Lord, a potent cure for burnout -- look at the next two verses:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

    whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,

    that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

    for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Do you see how this imagery reflects the opposite of burnout? The cure perhaps? I mean, leaves that stay green? No anxiety? Always bearing fruit? If that’s what it looks like to trust in the Lord -- I’m in! 

But we struggle, don’t we? One of the reasons why we struggle is because we’re prone to believe the lie that we know best. It’s such an easy lie to believe. We see posters and t-shirts and Instagram posts that encourage us to follow our hearts when Scripture teaches us that our hearts in their natural state --when they’re not led by the Holy Spirit --  are sinful with limited understanding. 

But what does Scripture teach about God’s understanding? Well, lots but if you want a quick, powerful reference 1 John 3:20 literally says “He knows everything.” How’s that for cutting to the chase? 

So next time you’re tempted to believe the lie to follow your heart or that you know best, remember God alone is worthy of your trust. 

We make a thousand decisions a day at work and home and everywhere in between -- how many of those decisions reflect total dependence on God for direction and how many of those decisions reflect dependence on yourself and trusting that you know best. 

GotQuestions.org reminds us that, “God does not change (Malachi 3:6), and His decisions are never capricious or evil. Psalm 92:15 tells us, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” God is not evil and will not lead us to destruction. Instead, He leads us into paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3). He never lies (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18), and He is faithful to keep His promises (Psalm 89:34). God’s plans are perfect, holy, and righteous, and He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). God is worthy of our trust.

Up next: Lies Work at Home Women and the Truth That Sets Us Free

Lies are everywhere and they are especially pervasive in the workspace. Even in the Christian workspace. Next week, I plan to take a break from our usual format and share about the Resurrection and how it changes everything and then, we’ll dive into “Lies Work-at-Home Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Us Free” -- that is a nod to Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth’s popular book, “Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free.” I hope you’ll join me and invite your friends, too.

Desk to Desk Links and Resources

The question of the week is: 

How do you or your family prepare your hearts for Easter, aka Resurrection Sunday?

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