#OneWord365: Trust (1st Update)

I've been reflecting on one word this year: trust. 

Tonight, as I listened to Sue speak about 2 Corinthians at my Bible Study, she gave a different definition for the word "stronghold." She said,

a stronghold is a belief or thinking that is false. This false thinking interferes with how we view everything. More importantly, it influences our thinking about God and truth.

I've never heard that before. She asked us to think about an area of our life the Lord might want to rid our thinking of. I immediately thought of worry.

So, as she was speaking, I turned to my handy iPhone and looked up worry in my Dictionary/Thesaurus. Then I looked up trust. 

I leaned to my friend, Nicole and said, I think that trust is the opposite (antonym) of worry. She agreed.

When I got home and made myself tea, got a small bowl of ice cream, went into our spare room and quieted my heart.  

I asked Jesus to help me write this post. Because I need Him to break the stronghold of worry over my heart and mind. And I think you reading this might need Him to do the same for you.

Here are 5 definitions of trust:

1. Confidence
2. Hope
3. Reliance
4. Count on
5. Have faith in

And 5 of worry:

1. Anguish
2. Concern
3. Distress
4. Feel uneasy
5. Oppress

When I looked up more definitions of worry's descriptions, I started seeing a pattern. 

Stress, anxiety and fear showed up in the definitions.

Guess what? The antonyms of each word had a pattern too. And that pattern brought tears to my eyes.

COMFORT  HELP  JOY  CONTENTMENT  AID  DELIGHT

I teared up, because these are the words and actions Jesus has done and is doing for me. 

He alone brings comfort. He alone can help in any situation. He is the one who gives joy. He produces contentment in my heart. He is the one who comes to my aid. And best of all

He. Delights. In. Me.

This human being, who sits here, typing this post with tears streaming down her face. Whose throat is getting tight as she thinks of the freedom that is found in Jesus Christ. 

I have confidence in Jesus. He never lets me down.

I have hope in Jesus.

I can rely on Jesus, unlike any other person. He will never fail me.

I can count on Jesus. He always comes through.

I can have faith in Jesus. He gives me faith.

When I am afraid,
   I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise, 
   in God I trust; I will not be afraid. 
What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

In God I trust, I will not be afraid. If these things are true of me, they are true of you too!

Happily linking to:

Five Minute Friday: Trust

I'm joining the Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Friday. Five Minute Friday is when I write for 5 minutes without over-thinking or critiquing what I've written. Lisa-Jo provides the word & others link up their "word-of-the-day" posts. Today's word is Trust. 

(Start timer)

I was so excited when I saw that today's word was TRUST. Wondering why? It is the word I chose for OneWord365. It's the word I'm focusing on this whole year. 

I have already discussed a little on why I chose this word here. Today, I want to share a few new things about it.

• Faith and trust seem to be interchangeable in the Bible. 
• Trust is the foundation and base for my faith to sprout. 
• Trust requires that I give up control and surrender it to the Lord.

What does trust mean?

reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

confident expectation of something, hope.

a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust. (Dictionary.com)

Trust isn't something I can conjure up. It is built over time. The more I get to know my husband, the more I trust him. The same is true of Jesus. The more I read the Bible and let the truths sink into my heart, the more I am willing and able to let go and trust in the plans and purposes he has for me.

(End timer)

#OneWord365: Trust

I have read a lot of tweets this weekend with the hashtag: #oneword365. My curiosity was piqued and I found the person who started it. Alece runs a site called One Word 365 and it is a community of people who are all focusing on one word for the entire year. I really like the idea of ruminating on one thing for 365 days. I think it really gives you time to concentrate, or meditate, on it.

The word that keeps coming to me is trust.

Trust means:

a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something (New Oxford American Dictionary)

Trust relates to a lot of things I struggle with, control, fear, lack of faith, hope, etc. When I trust God as a loving Father, I do not need to fear things I cannot control. This isn't saying life will go perfectly or I won't have any struggles, but it is saying that He is in charge of my life, not me.  

I thought of this verse when I was considering trust:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
      do not depend on your own understanding.
 Seek his will in all you do,
      and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5,6 NLT)

I would love to read about the word you've chosen and I'm excited about the next year as I contemplate the word trust.

Linking up with Alece and OneWord365 community: