Tonite our Wednesday night programs kicked into gear. We are doing Alpha and The Divine Conspiracy (Dallas Willard) this ‘semester.’ I am leading a Divine Conspiracy small group.

What I was struck by these evening was one line that Willard came out with. He said faith means “thinking well enough of Jesus to trust him.” As soon as he said it, it just seemed so obvious. When I focus on Jesus – on who he is, what he taught, how he lived – faith seems so easy. OF COURSE, I want to put my trust in him. OF COURSE, he will have nothing but my best interests at heart – even if I can’t see how this moment or that moment fits into the concept of ‘best for me.’

So why do I worry, why do I doubt, why do I struggle to have faith, to trust Jesus?

Well, I’m thinking of a favourite Andrew Peterson lyric. In “The Chasing Song” he sings:

Well, I realize that falling down ain’t graceful
But I thank the Lord that falling’s full of grace
Sometimes I take my eyes off Jesus
And you know that’s all it takes

Sometimes, I find it too easy to get wrapped up in what is happening, my own thoughts, my own perspective. Sometimes, I find it too easy to take my eyes off Jesus. To forget how well I think of him, to forget how much I love him and how much he loves me.

And that is all it takes.

So I am going to try to remind myself of Willard’s words whenever I find myself afraid or worried or overly uncertain about the future.