Who Can You Trust?
David M. Schmaltz
I have used many personal stories in my blogs as anecdotes for thought. I do this because I want people to know that I am as genuine as I hope to be. I still have much internal work that needs doing, but God by His grace has seen fit to allow me to persevere for the sake of His Kingdom and the work He has called me to do. If I am not a practitioner or have experienced the freedom I talk about, that will eventually bear fruit. Paul said that he only taught what he had embraced and experienced himself.
Being in a position of authority brings great responsibility and an indescribable weight. Until you bear it, you cannot possibly know. Then, multiply that by 100 when you are called to oversee and care for Christ’s bride. Ok. Enough of the drama already.
When I was a young acolyte in training for ministry, I had already been coached in sports. I had great respect for the coaches in my life who cared enough to tell me the hard things to help me improve my sports performance and in life. Yes, they wanted a win. Yes, they wanted to keep their jobs. But, does that matter? Their drive was for my benefit. Any fraction of care was enough for me. Take a moment to watch what happens after a big game win. Watch the players and coaches. They are like silly kids hugging and laughing. Before the game, many were stressed, in conflict, doubting, even attacking one another. Wins change everything. So, getting back to my early ministry days, I instinctively looked for men who would coach me to success. They didn’t have to be perfect or even my closest buddy. What I wanted was a man of faith and consistency and integrity. I looked for fearless men. Men that I could trust with my future. Have you ever noticed that you will eventually find what you are looking for? Remember that.
I did find what I was looking for. I found a young pastor who was fearless. He was bold and sometimes a little overly confident in his approach. That didn’t bother me. Physically, I could dominate him quite easily, but he had me when it came to faith and excellence. For me, what mattered was his integrity...did his life match his words? What was his message, and what words did he give to me? He was hard-core. He pushed me and never watered down the truth. I think at times I bothered him because once I realized that he was the key to my future growth, I was never far away. God spoke to me clearly, that he was the key to my future in ministry. I told him that, and he laughed and said, “Well, let me know when that happens.” Long story short, I served this man for 22 years in many different capacities.
So, let’s talk trust. What does it take to trust someone? Wow. These days, I think we can all say that trust has been not only cracked but has shattered and fallen entirely to the ground. So many lies, so many half-truths, so many deceptions, and diversions. What does that do to a person? I will tell you what that does. He causes people not to trust anyone. This atmosphere of distrust begins to flow into everything so that even good-meaning, well-intentioned people are mistrusted. This is the work of satan. This is HIS playbook.
So how do we as Christians navigate this ocean of mistrust and deceit? The Bible tells us that these times would come and that what we would need is discernment. This is a spiritual gift. I want you to see that we cannot abandon trust. We have to rely upon the Holy Spirit more than ever. The Church always was meant to be a refuge from this world – in it, but not of it. Here we would grow internally in faith through our relationships in the body. But, remember, only God is perfect; people are not. Then, we do our best to choose the people who inspire us, challenge us, and bring victories. Choosing who you trust to do life with is enormous. Do they challenge you? Do they expect more from you? Do they bring you wins? I would rather be on a losing team that is happy than a winning team where not everyone is...said no one ever. I’ve coached losing teams, and no one is happy.
Now, to a more direct point. Do you trust the vision of Valley Community Church? Do you believe that you will grow and achieve God’s very best for you at Valley? I can tell you that my heart is to bring the absolute best into your life with great passion. That is not an easy task in an atmosphere of mistrust. Sure, there have been church leaders who have disappointed us. But, maybe the disappointment was not justified? Perhaps it was a truth that I didn’t want to hear? Here’s a list of possible issues of trust:
Why do we have to talk about sin? I feel bad enough about it already.
Why don’t you talk more about sin? People are getting away with cheap grace. They should be called out more.
Why do you talk about money? Is tithing biblical? Even if it is, why do we have to be reminded of it so often? I don’t trust the motives of church leaders who talk about money.
Why do we talk about reaching people for Christ all the time? What about our needs? Isn’t the Church big enough?
Based on my experience, pastors and leaders are not fully trusted. They tend to be hypocrites.
Isn’t the organized Church just a front for a personality cult to grow?
Why aren’t the pastors more caring? Why don’t they contact me more, especially when I haven’t been in church in a while?
The answers? We answer these questions almost every week, hoping that you trust us. That’s all we can do. Now, here is my challenge for you. What are you looking for? Do you want to grow in your faith? Do you want to see your finances grow and your disciplines be more Christ-like? Do you want more friends and a happier family?
As a pastor/teacher, I must say that I often teach biblical truths that have helped me. I have also given counsel either individually or from the pulpit. I don’t take this responsibility lightly. I do a lot of reading and study in Scripture. I don’t just rely on popular teachings or what is pushed from the media. I also don’t allow good-hearted Christians to influence my beliefs after coming to the point of spirit-led conviction. I use my spirit and look to the Holy Spirit to guide me. From what I read in Psalm 23, our Shepherd will lead us to the still waters, places of blessing and peace. After 42 years of following Jesus, I have become skeptical of those quick blessing teachings and the experts who are driven by personal financial gain in whatever field they represent. My point? You don’t have to trust blindly, but you can test the spirits, know what wisdom looks like, and apply it. You also have a choice from whom you get this wisdom.
Finally, what does it matter how God fulfills our needs in the end? I have never found a perfect mentor, a perfect friend, or perfect anything other than Jesus himself. But, I have found that those people, groups, events, experiences, choices, and spiritual disciplines led by genuine people have brought me success. And every ounce of my time, energy, and money sowed into these imperfect opportunities changed my life.
Don’t abandon trust, my friend. Christ is in charge. He will guide you. Find a winning team and jump into the huddle. Use the very little time, energy, and resources you have been given to advance His kingdom. In the end, that’s all it is going to be about.
In God we trust,
Pastor David
