How Does Proper Bonding Promote Trust?

How well do you know your children? I’ve heard parents explain how uneasy they felt taking care of an infant or toddler. As children advance in age and master a preferred language, the parent’s comfort zone extends considerably.

In a rushed society, experiencing the blessing of realistically getting to know your child thoroughly in each developmental stage is limited. God designed these stages to be windows of opportunity for understanding and bonding with your child. Knowing your child includes being aware of how they think and how they feel.

Bonding provides children with confidence their parents are trustworthy and dependable. It’s comparable to feeling bonded with God where you trust him to provide for all your needs because he loves you without hesitation. 

By giving yourself permission to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength, trust will grow for you give him first place in everything. Bonding thrives when God is present.

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[Jesus] walked away, perhaps a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed… “Father, if you are willing, please take away this cup [of suffering] from me. But I want your will, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

~Luke 22:41-43 The Living Bible

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What Makes Transitions So Difficult?

How well you cope with life’s transitions depends on whether your strengths or weaknesses are in control. That Saul had been chosen by God to be the first King of Israel was unquestionable. Yet on the day of his coronation he failed to show up as anxiety and fear took control of his life.

Instead of asking God for strength and courage, he permitted fear of being ill-prepared for the responsibility to consume him. The strongest personalities will face anxiety and fear, but a person’s inner strength and faith in God prevent weaknesses from dominating their lives.

Sadly, Saul would go through life refusing to put God first in his life. Transitions are predictable in God’s plan and purpose for you, so giving Christ Jesus first place in your life provides security to face whatever life presents. 

Permitting Christ Jesus to be your source of security isn’t easy but is possible with God’s help. So trust in him with all your heart.                            

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The steps of good men [and women] are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them up with his hand.

~Psalm 37:23-24 The Living Bible

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Confronting Generational Challenges

Every generation is confronted with challenges to long-established ways of thinking that previously provided stability and security for daily life. September 11, 2001, brought home the undeniable reality that the wall of safety surrounding America could be breached by terrorists intending to instill fear that the conquest of our nation was possible.

Fear is a powerful emotion and is inescapable because so much in life is beyond our absolute control. Almost every day something is interjected into our lives that disrupts our predictable routines. It could be a minor event or some cutting-edge crisis with the power to turn our world upside down.

Faith is God’s antidote to fear and anxiety. When faced with fear and anxiety, faith in God’s power will stymie its impact. Cutting-edge faith is needed in a world of cutting-edge technologies and social advances. Cutting-edge faith hinges on the conviction that God’s purpose and plan will prevail.                           

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I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, “Don’t panic. I’m right here  to help you.”

~Isaiah 41:13 The Message

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Run from Temptation's Trap

Temptation can be a subtle thought that lasts only for a moment or a fierce fire that will not be extinguished. Potiphar's wife was so attracted to Joseph, her passion became an out-of-control fire. Every day she enticed him with sexually provocative allurements that could not be misinterpreted. Still he resolved to remain faithful to God and his values.

On one occasion when they were alone in the house, she grabbed Joseph, determined to seduce him. With tenacious strength of character and will, he ran from the house to escape her grasp. To survive the snare of lust, he chose to run rather than face a lifetime of regret.

Joseph’s overriding priority was to keep his conscience clear and his integrity clean. When he could no longer avoid temptation’s trap, he removed himself from its presence. Temptation can be brutal in its persistent, enticing power, but it can never override God's promise to provide a way to escape. “Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.”  

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I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

~Isaiah 41:13 Contemporary English Version

Overcoming Obstacles

On his way to getting everything he wanted, Jacob encountered obstacles that brought his life to a dead end. It's important to realize God is not against your getting what you want if it doesn’t conflict with His moral and spiritual values. Jacob had consistently violated God’s principals and guidelines for living.

Although Jacob failed to get away with lying and cheating, the crisis it produced became an opportunity to change his life. This was his chance to turn an obstacle into an opportunity for a wonderful future. Jacob dreamed God would bless and protect him and give him the land that would become Israel as it’s defined today.

Another obstacle Jacob faced was separating from his mother, for he was his mother’s favorite son. God proposed a plan for Jacob to live under His protection rather than his mother’s care until Jacob was responsible and mature enough to act like a man. Can you see yourself living under God’s protection? It can be yours by committing your life to him.