Trusting in God

Q: How do you fully trust in God and His plan for your life (for others, the world, etc...)? This question assumes that there is a plan, so maybe I should open it: "How do you trust in God?" and "How do you be at peace?"

I'm going to admit that I'm unsure about a predestined "master plan" for the universe. Or, at least, one that I am aware of or if it is even promised in scripture. I'm not really a predestination theologian... The plan that I know of is one of relationship; God's relationship with us and the creation and our relationship with God and one another and all of creation. I understand God's plan for all things is to work in relationship. This can be found throughout scripture, as the accounts and stories reveal to us how people worked out their relationships with God and each other. We notice very quickly that life in biblical times was just as messed up as it is today as we struggle to live in relationship.

That's where the trust factor comes into the scene. In order to have relationship, we must trust - trust God, trust each other. This is an important thing, but it is not easy. Often, we need to take baby steps and get to know before we can fully trust, or rely on, or put faith in, etc... For instance, you don't get married on the first date. There needs to be a courtship, a getting to know you period in order to build the relationship. All parties must give the other party a chance. 

I personally feel that this is the same with our relationship with God. The worst thing that we can do is not work toward a relationship with God and expect it to be there when we need it. Relationships require ernest hard work. They require give and take and compromise. We need to work at having a relationship with God as much as, if not more than having a relationship with each other. These are the two most important things we could ever do in our life.

I feel, and have personally experienced that if I am in right relationship with God and each other, or if I am at least striving for it, that I am at peace. It's a release of thinking that I need to control every aspect of every situation. It is no longer a struggle to trying to make the square pegs fit into the round holes, but an acceptance of the round holes being there for the round pegs... but other people have the round pegs and in order for you to be complete, you need them.