Grappling with the mysteries of faith-trust these days, trying to keep a hold on it, at times I fall into doubt. I think about how many people need God’s help, and wonder how can he possibly look out for everyone who prays for help? It calls to mind an old passage in Matthew 6:32-33 about the “lilies of the field,” one also found in Jesus’ teaching in The Urantia Book. The UB retells the story we probably first heard from the Bible in more detail:

   "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is cut down and cast into the fire, how much more shall he clothe you, the ambassadors of the heavenly kingdom. O you of little faith! When you wholeheartedly devote yourselves to the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom, you should not be of doubtful minds concerning the support of yourselves or the families you have forsaken. If you give your lives truly to the gospel, you shall live by the gospel. If you are only believing disciples, you must earn your own bread and contribute to the sustenance of all who teach and preach and heal.” (The UB, 165:5.3, pg. 1823)

   Notice his distinction between disciples and gospel ambassadors. "Yes, Andrew, I will speak to you about these matters of wealth and self-support, but my words to you, the apostles, must be somewhat different from those spoken to the disciples and the multitude.” (165:5.2)

   The lesson, preserved in the Gospel of Matthew for disciples and apostles alike to hear, continues: “Devote yourselves to your work, believing that both the Father and I know that you have need of all these things. Let me assure you, once and for all, that, if you dedicate your lives to the work of the kingdom, all your real needs shall be supplied. Seek the greater thing, and the lesser will be found therein; ask for the heavenly, and the earthly shall be included.” (165:5.3)

   We find more background to this message in The UB. A feature of Jesus’ bestowal mission was that we learn to develop a trust that is unshakeable. As he prepared for life on Urantia, his brother Immanuel told him, “And when you shall have finished this bestowal experience, you will know in very truth the full meaning and the rich significance of that faith-trust which you so unvaryingly require all your creatures to master as a part of their intimate relationship with you as their local universe Creator and Father.” (120:1.3, pg. 1326)

   What does the UB mean by hyphenating faith-trust? I’m not completely sure but I have a theory that faith refers to spiritual matters, “the evidence of things not seen,” (Hebrews 11:1) whereas trust pertains to the life we live in the material world, having a confident expectation that an agreement, a covenant will be fulfilled. Faith is a gift, whereas trust, we learn.

   There were two young women musicians I once knew up in the country, friends as well as musical partners, but they were like oil on water. Though they made beautiful music together, they were at completely opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum; one an atheist and a believer in socialism, the other an ardent fundamentalist Christian. Whenever some difficulty in life arose, the Christian woman would tell her partner not to worry, “God will take care of it.” The atheist was offended by this way of thinking, living as if faith in God would rescue you even from your own human foibles. She saw it as irresponsible—that no matter what difficulty her friend fell into, even as a result of her own carelessness, God would reach down and pull her out of the mire. I once listened as they argued about it. In church, we would refer to this attitude as presuming on God’s mercy. It was this presumption of the fundamentalist woman that offended her non-believing friend.

   “Jesus' earthly life was devoted to one great purpose—doing the Father's will, living the human life religiously and by faith. The faith of Jesus was trusting, like that of a child, but it was wholly free from presumption. He made robust and manly decisions, courageously faced manifold disappointments, resolutely surmounted extraordinary difficulties, and unflinchingly confronted the stern requirements of duty. It required a strong will and an unfailing confidence to believe what Jesus believed and as he believed.” (196:0.14, pg. 2090)

   It is so easy these days to feel “at a loss,” as a friend described his emotions when observing how far away the “spiritual renaissance” seemed to be in our present world crisis. I really think the only thing we can rely on is faith. “Keep your eyes on the prize,” and “your hands on the gospel plow.” We can only do whatever works to restore flagging courage and lost strength, the same way Jesus did in his last hours. He recited Psalms to himself as he suffered on the cross, shoring up his dwindling resources. “During this hour of approaching death the human mind of Jesus resorted to the repetition of many passages in the Hebrew scriptures, particularly the Psalms.” (187:5.2, pg. 2010)

   I have to do something like this almost every day. When joy and hope begin to slip away, I use my strategies, like singing those gospel songs I quoted above, or re-reading inspirational quotes. In my case, another thing that also works well is to plunge myself into a writing project even though I do not feel up to it at all. In an hour or so, I have regained energy and enthusiasm.

      In following the Father’s command to “Be you perfect,” I once decided I couldn’t perfect my character, but I could perfect my faith. As I continually pursue and deepen my spiritual habits, I’ve felt my soul also beginning to help me have faith, confirm my faith, keep the faith, perfect my faith attitude; “the immortal soul craves and initiates worship,” (5:3.8, pg. 66) and helps us hold on to courage.

   Jesus taught us, “My Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (155:6.17, pg. 1733)

   “Your secret of the mastery of self is bound up with your faith in the indwelling spirit, which ever works by love. Even this saving faith you have not of yourselves; it also is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8; The UB 143:2.7, pg. 1610)