Trust Fall: Overcoming Fear

I can’t trust fall. At all. Trust me, I’ve tried. (Too cheesy? Yeah . . .)

During one of the church messages this past semester, our pastor preached on trust and, to demonstrate, “trust fell” off a stage into the waiting arms of random volunteers. I was impressed and slightly convicted since I can’t do the trust fall with my friends in private much less freefall of a stage in front of thousands.

Trust is an interesting idea, isn’t it? Trust is something we do naturally at first. As babies, we trust that the food our mom gives us is safe. As five-year-olds, we trust that our dad will drive us safely to school.

But slowly, with time, we lose our trust a bit when people around us lie to us, betray us, or fail us. We start to trust others less and trust ourselves more, even though we usually let ourselves down just as often.

When I’ve tried to do the “trust fall” with my closest friends, I have the full intention of falling. I know they’ll catch me. My head knows that, but I think the information never gets to the rest of my body. When I lean back and try to fall, my knees buckle and I catch myself.

I can’t trust fall because I’m afraid of the fall. My fear of falling runs deeper than my trust for the person ready to catch me. I may think and know the opposite, but my instinct is to protect myself by avoiding the risk of falling.

But if I want to overcome fear, I have to trust. It’s the antidote to fear. Trusting in God frees me from living in doubt, trapped by every fear.

God calls out to me to trust Him. He doesn’t whisper. This time He shouts out the truth to my heart.

He says, “Stop looking behind you. Stop turning around to see if I’m there to catch you. Just fall. Lean back, let go, and fall. Don’t think about it. Don’t stop yourself. Don’t hesitate. Make your decision and do it. Trust me and fall.”

I want to trust God, but fear doesn’t want me to trust God. I don’t want to let go of my heart, so instead, I cling tightly, tightly, tightly. I clutch my heart between sweaty desperate hands.

God says, “Let go.”

I say, “What if I say the words “I trust you,” what if I say “I’ll fall,” and I even let go, but as I do my knees buckle on their own to catch me? What if the deepest part of me that I can’t seem to control has no faith and no trust?”

Then I realized that I have to trust that God will give me trust. I have to trust that God will complete what I cannot do on my own. I have to trust that if I take the first step, He’ll take me the rest of the way.

If you’ve also been struggling with the battle between trust and fear, listen to Just Be Held by Casting Crowns.

There’s freedom in surrender

Lay it down and let it go

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away

You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place

I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

Another song I absolutely love is Here by Michael Hughes Watson. This song spells out the war in my heart.

Trust is the key step to overcoming fear.

Without Someone to trust, we have no way to push past fear. Without Someone to save us, we don’t have any hope to win the fight.

But God is here. He’s asking us to fall, to let go, to trust Him even if we can’t do it on our own. He’s ready to catch us if we’re ready to let go.