Trust Fall

If you’ve ever been to a meeting, camp, or other shindig that is trying to help you better understand how to trust your teammates, then you’ve probably experienced the “Trust Fall.” For those that haven’t, you are placed on an elevated platform, generally three to six feet off the ground. You step to the edge of the platform and turn around so that your back is facing out. Your teammates then gather in parallel lines beneath you with their arms outstretched. You then purposefully allow yourself to fall backward off of the platform into the awaiting arms of your comrades. Needless to say, right before you fall, every fiber of your being is telling you not to do it. This exercise is intended to build trust, but also helps overcome fear.

Our faith life is built entirely upon trust. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are essentially saying, I trust you with my entire existence. The words are easy to say. But, when we are faced with troubles in our lives, fear and anxiety begin to creep in. Our minds race with panic. “Perhaps He won’t be able to hold me up when I fall,” we think. Or, “Maybe all of this stuff is made up.” Even worse, “God’s promises don’t apply to me.”

So, how do we overcome our fears? How do we silence the voices in our head that scream not to trust God, let alone anyone? How do we trust God with everything?

It’s quite simple. Fear is born out of ignorance, or not knowing God.

Why did the men and women we see in the Bible trust God so much? Because they worshiped Him, served Him, conversed with Him. They knew God personally. That is the key to trust. It’s built over time as we experience things together.

What makes doing the Trust Fall exercise easier is to know who is catching you. If a bunch of strangers tell me they are going to catch me, I have to question their motives. But, when a group of my friends and family, whom I love, and who love me, say they will catch me, I believe them. And, each time I practice trust, it gets easier. The fear becomes less and less.

God will allow you opportunities to practice your trust in Him. His goal is not to scare you, but allow you moments to build our faith. Maybe you can identify some opportunities during this pandemic to practice your trust fall with Him.

Put your trust in Him. Fall into His arms. He will never fail you.