Do you know the trust fall game? The one where one person stands in front of another and falls backward, keeping his body straight, and the other person catches him before he hits the ground. My daughter went through a phase when she loved to play this game. We had to come up with a few ground rules:

1. Make sure both people understand the game before starting.




2. Make sure both people are ready before the faller starts to fall.




3. Make sure the catcher is physically able to catch the faller.

You can imagine what happens if these rules are not followed.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

What happens if I apply the same ground rules to “trust-falling” with God?

1. The rules: God desires for me to trust Him completely, falling into His arms with no other way to protect myself, no Plan B, no cushion on the floor “just in case.” He invites me into a life of faith so radical that if He doesn’t show up, I’m sunk.

2. Ready? I can ask God to do His work. I don’t have to have it all figured out. My understanding is not what will catch me.

“Father, I don’t like this change of team/position/city and I don’t see how it’s going to work. Are you working in this?”

“My child, I’m ready. Fall back on me.”

3. Physical ability: God is truly able to catch me when I rely on Him.

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:26-27

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” Psalm 28:7 

I have tried leaning on my own understanding. I’m not able to keep myself from smacking on the concrete and I have had the metaphorical goose-egg to prove it. May we be quick to recognize where we are relying on our own understanding and quick to trust our God. There is no one like Him.