Behind the store’s counter, on the wall above the cash register, there was a yellowed paper with these words, “In God we trust… all others pay cash.” While my first reaction was a smile, the more I thought about it the more I wondered if this was really the belief of the proprietor. Did he really trust God or was it just some clever saying he came across with a rather snarky edge to it? Some argue this reflects national faith because our nation’s currency has the motto, “In God we trust,” on our coins and paper bills – at least up to the twenty dollar bills. It may be on higher denominations, but my wallet doesn’t go any higher! For higher debts I revert to plastic credit cards – none of mine carry that motto.
Wikipedia has some interesting data on the motto (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust).
They note that in early USA history Benjamin Franklin used the phrase. Later
the words became a political moto during the American Civil War when the Union
wanted to posture that God was on their side and this saying reflected this. A
law was passed in July 1955 by Congress and approved by President Dwight
Eisenhower stating that "In God We Trust" appear on all American
currency. It seems that political forces were at work to promote a spiritual certitude
to contrast with a cold war atheistic position of the USSR. Today there are
varied perspectives on the motto, both pro and con on the use of the words.
We live not by mottos but by core beliefs that modify our behavior and establish
social principles. Words are mere sounds until they are cloaked in meaningful
understanding of their implications in our life’s practices. Moving beyond the
motto there arises the essential question, “Who do we trust in life?” The
answer to this question really reflects how we will operate in life. Some will
trust people. The snarky statement I saw on the wall implies the store owner looked
at people as less trustworthy than God. Probably a wise conclusion in light of
the fact that as Jeremiah observed, “The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (17:9).
Some will trust in human power. Again, not the wisest of decisions when
one considers the finiteness of humanity to address the problems that exist in
the world whether it be societal, ecological, political, physical, or any
number of life’s maladies. Perhaps that is why King David concluded, “May the
Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob
protect you… Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the
name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:1,7).
Others rely on human wisdom to arrive at solutions to the ultimate
perplexities of life. If human wisdom is so great, why do people make such bad
decisions and arrive at such weak solutions to answer what ails humanity?
Perhaps the most educated man of his day, the Apostle Paul, with all his study
and academic accomplishments, gives an insight in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 “6 I do
speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this
world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom
we speak of is the mystery of God… 8
But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would
not have crucified our glorious Lord.” People may have great wisdom and still
make foolish decisions, if not guided by God’s wisdom.
In the Old Testament we see God developing a man he was going to use to
accomplish His purposes. God wanted a man who did not just have a motto, “In
God we trust.” He was to live life this way as he accomplished God’s will. His
name was Gideon. Gideon concluded he was a man of weakness (Judges 6:15), while
God saw him as a “Mighty hero” because the Lord was with him (6:12). He
displays fear at first. But God worked in him and progressively changed his
focus from trusting his position, power, and prowess, to trusting God. God took
away the few resources people generally rely upon and left him trusting in God
alone. God took away thousands of troops and left him with 300 (7:3, 7). God
did this because God said, “There are too many of you! I can’t let all of you
fight the Midianites, for then the people of Israel will boast to me that they
saved themselves by their own strength!” (7:2). God wanted all the trust to be
focused upon Him. Gideon would essentially conclude, “In God we trust.” Sadly, Gidon
later diverted his trust from God and began to trust in man-made gods (8:22-27).
How easy it is to lose our focus and begin to focus upon ourselves and the gods
we make. Trouble arises in life when we transfer trust from God to ourselves.
Is “In God we trust,” just a moto in your life and mine or is it the way
we really live life? Leya Delray, rightly deduces, “Happiness doesn't come from
being the one in control. It comes from trusting the One who is.” This is why
Chuck Swindoll wisely concludes, “We must cease striving and trust God to
provide what He thinks is best… But this kind of trusting doesn't come
naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to
exercise faith.”
“In God we trust,” must be more that a moto. As Scripture says, “Trust
in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek
his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs
3:5-6).
