Trust vs. Superstition

Again, to all, "Happy New Year!" I do realize this year will bring challenges and wonders. I do realize this year will bring disappointments and rewards. And I also realize this year will bring multiple opportunities for growth. Regardless what this year brings, one should be prepared. So it's perfectly okay to..."expect the best but prepare for the worst." Each highlighted scenario, we will be addressing throughout this month. But on this present occasion we will address the case of trust vs. superstition.

What is trust? What is trust in God? How can I operate in more trust in God? What is superstition? Why do people operate in superstition? Is it okay for Christians to be superstitious? Many of these questions may be complex in their origin and understanding. And some may not be able to be adequately answered in this blog post. But the overall concept to these questions can be quickly answered.

Here are the quick answers:

Trust, according to Merriam-Webster, is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Notice, it is not preferenced by feelings or emotions but rather character. Trust in God, it is placing full assurance in His character (what He's consistently known for doing throughout history). It's not based on guessing or wishing but guaranteed, full assurance. Trusting God more, it is based on getting to know Him more. Getting to know His character and consistency, it is not based just on knowing about God but rather knowing God, personally.

On the other hand, superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events. It is based solely on folk tales, myths, luck, guesses, feelings and emotions. But, similar to trust, a full assurance of belief is placed in those things. For example, today is Friday the 13th, a so called unlucky number. So now luck is the driving force to their belief instead of God. Many people are highly superstitious because they either don't personally know God, or have a dubious relationship and are keenly lacking in their trust in Him. As for Christians being very superstitious, in a nutshell, it's not okay. These individuals should know God. But unfortunately, many don't! Instead, some of them just only know about God. So when it comes to direction for their lives; they look to the horrorscopes, are fearful by their surroundings and hold onto doubtful superstitions as valid truth. Sadly, the power and presence of God in their lives is limited to a Sunday morning ritual or nightly prayer routine passed on by family and friends.

The point of it all is this: if one can be superstitious; one can place trust in God. Both are based on full assurance. It's just that with superstition, the full assurance is placed in the wrong thing. Loved ones, let's trust more (in God) for 2012 and be very superstitious a lot less.