That depends on what I trust God to do or be. If my expectation is that God will beat up my enemies and make sure I get what I pray for, then I am likely to act proud, vindictive, and entitled. Trusting God to be on “my side” implies that people who don’t agree with me or who don’t treat me as I think they should are on the “other” side, which is the wrong side.
However, if I trust God to love me, forgive me, heal me, guide me, and be with me through everything, then I will act like a person who can enjoy life as a gift and who does not have to fight and grab for what she wants, because she is free to be content as circumstances shift and change. If I trust God to be God and remain with me and use a variety of situations to strengthen and teach me, then I don’t need to create enemies out of people who seem opposed to me. I can relax and accept any person as someone loved by God—and I can trust God to work in that person, starting with where he or she is now.
If I trust God, I will not be a fearful person; it’s as simple as that. Because perfect love casts out fear, I can discern my level of trust on any given day by assessing how much fear is playing a part in what I do, say, think, and focus on.
If I trust God, then I will be able to talk to God even on the days when I am acting proud, vindictive, entitled, and fearful. My trust can clear the way for me to fume or cry in God’s presence rather than hide from God and avoid the discussion. It’s important to remember that people can trust God but still behave badly. The trust is what enables them to recognize what’s happening and turn back to God.
I hope you have the courage soon to ask yourself what you trust God to do and who you trust God to be. How we perceive God being involved with us determines how we choose to be involved with God.