Have you heard the song "Oceans"? One line of the song states this request: "Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders." I've listened to that song repeatedly, and I've been thinking about that phrase: "trust without borders."
That is the kind of trust I desire to cultivate, trust without borders, but that kind of trust only comes when faced with what I call "Red Sea moments." We can easily sing the song, a beautiful narrative reflective of Peter's walk across the water to Jesus, but being pressed to live out that kind of trust is hard.
Trust Without Borders
"Trust without borders" means that I will release all control; I will make the tough choice to obey even when it looks like I could drown; I will step into that frightening place of the unknown—into the great mystery of God's sovereignty and suffering.
When Jesus invited Peter to come out to meet Him on the water, Peter got out of the boat. He immediately obeyed. He was willing to follow and didn't hesitate, but his trust was limited by a few "borders." Winds that were pulverizing their sailing vessel set up a high border for Peter's faith. He suddenly realized that he was attempting the impossible, and fear gripped his heart more than faith.
So, as we think about trusting the Lord, here are three things we can learn from this story:
- The borders of my faith can narrow when life's circumstances turn nasty.
Believe me—I'm not saying that I would've reacted differently than Peter. I may have never left the boat! Stepping into the unknown is scary. It can be costly and painful, but it will put you in the position of trusting God as never before—and that is necessary in order to reach the place where our "trust is without borders."
2. The only "borders" for trust should be the clear parameters of Scripture.
Trusting God and walking by faith doesn't mean that we will rush headlong into foolish choices and expect God to bail us out. It doesn't mean that we practice blind faith. Wise decisions must be informed by the Word of God and led by the Spirit of God.
3. Not every "leap of faith" is an invitation by God to step out of the boat.
Remember how the enemy tempted Jesus to prove Himself as the Son of God? He wanted Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and trust that He would be rescued. Jesus rejected that invitation and provided the truth from Scripture as His response.
It wasn't that Jesus had a low level of trust, Jesus would take a bold leap of faith, but not from the temple—it would be from a garden of surrender. When faced with the cup that He would receive from the Father, Jesus knew that the cross was more horrifying than anything He'd yet experienced. He could've rejected that drink, but instead, He moved into the darkness of that great mystery where God experienced suffering.
Jesus pushed into that secret place of "trust without borders" when He rose from prayer to move steadfastly toward the cross. Trust without borders is what He invites us to when He says: "Come unto me . . . Climb into my yoke . . . Follow me . . ."
His invitations don't usually include a comprehensive planner providing all the details we'll need to face on down the road, but they do include the promise that "great is His steadfast love toward us" and the truth that "the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever." (Ps. 117:2)
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1)
Have you received an invitation to "step out" into the great mystery of the unknown?
Are you fearful as you look at what seems to be impossible circumstances?
Rest assured, you are not alone. Allow Him to stretch your trust level beyond where you've yet been.
