The devil loves to confuse.
That might sound like a blunt way to start this blog, but it’s something that has been on my mind lately.
Maybe it’s because of the political climate that’s fracturing our country and, sadly, the church.
Maybe it’s the overwhelming suffering in the world that makes us wonder how a loving God can allow such pain.
Maybe it’s because we have access to unlimited information at our fingertips. Not sure how long to cook chicken in your air fryer? Google it. Wondering what your middle school friend is up to these days? Look them up on Facebook. Unsure what the Bible says about a specific topic? Buy a book about it that will ship to your house the next day.
We have so much power. And yet, in a much more real sense, we don’t.
Because while we may have access to endless knowledge, we don’t have control. There will always be more to learn, another question to answer, another circumstance we can’t explain. Our desire for knowledge is not giving us the peace, the hope, or the control we want. Instead, it often leaves us more anxious, more uncertain, and more confused.
We no longer know what—or whom—we can trust.
In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve wage a war with the desire for knowledge––and lose. The devil, in the form of a serpent, tempts Eve with the offer of having as much knowledge as God, and it’s an offer she can’t resist. God had already given them everything they could ever need or want, but they still reach for that forbidden fruit, choosing knowledge over trust and power over surrender.
Unfortunately, the roots of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are still spreading into our society today: into our classrooms, our iPhones, our debates, and our growing desire to know more. When we think about it, we often face the same choice that Eve faced thousands of years ago: to be content in the not-knowing or to try and take matters into our own hands. And we often are asked the same question that the devil asked her: Did God really say? (Genesis 3:1).
So where do we turn when we’re confused—about politics, parenting, faith, relationships, or anything else for that matter? Where do we place our trust?
While I don’t have all the answers (isn’t that the whole point, anyway?), here are a few guardrails that have become helpful for me in recent years in discerning what to believe and where to place my trust.
- We can’t always trust our thoughts and feelings, but we can trust the Holy Spirit at work within us.
“Trust your gut.” “Follow your heart.” “Find your truth.” While these common sayings are relatively harmless, they aren’t foolproof. Because sometimes our thoughts deceive us, which derails our feelings, which affects our behavior.
Our feelings can mislead us too. We might feel angry at our spouse, when really we just need a snack. We might think our boss is disappointed in us, when really we’ve just misinterpreted their email. While we should pay attention to and honor our thoughts and feelings, we cannot always trust them because we are imperfect humans and, as such, our minds and emotions are imperfect too. But here’s the hope: We have the Holy Spirit living within us, helping us sort through which thoughts and emotions are grounded in truth and which ones are not.
So before acting on an emotion or believing every thought that crosses our mind, we pause, and we remember we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We remember to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We remember God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We remember we are a temple for the Holy Spirit living inside of us (1 Corinthians 6:19). Most importantly, we remember we can ask God for wisdom in navigating our internal world, knowing he promises to give wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5).
- We can’t always trust the words of others, but we can always trust the Word of God.
Unfortunately, many of us are familiar with that painful feeling of seeing someone who claims to follow Jesus abuse the name of Jesus. I know many people have trust issues when it comes to the church, pastors, and other Christians. I’m so sorry that’s the case. I’ve been there too.
But I don’t think that means we can never trust the words or wisdom of others. Community is a gift, and it’s also a tool that God uses to speak to us. A perfect God can still speak through imperfect people. Sometimes we need the voices of others to speak truth into our lives when we’re having trouble believing it for ourselves. To remind us that God still loves us, that God is still in control, that God is still at work.
That being said, it’s critical not to naively trust whatever others say. We must be diligent in holding everything up against Scripture, whether it’s an Instagram post, a sermon, or a conversation with a friend. While there is a lot of variance in how people interpret the Bible, I still believe it is the ultimate source of truth we can turn to when we don’t know what to believe. Second Timothy 3:16–17 puts it this way: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV).
The words of others will sometimes fail, mislead, offend, and infuriate us. But we have the ultimate Word to turn to when we feel confused, trusting that it will serve as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).
- We won’t always understand our circumstances, but we can always trust in God’s character.
Even when we struggle to trust what God is doing, we can trust who he is. We can always, always trust God’s character.
We can trust that he is good. Loving. Just. Faithful. Holy. Compassionate. Kind. Merciful.
We know who God is because of what he has done. In Joshua’s farewell message to the Israelites, he implores them to remember God’s faithfulness to them in the past (Joshua 23). Likewise, remembering God’s faithfulness in the past reminds us we can trust him with our future. Even in the midst of mystery, we can trust that God is working all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
We were never meant to know everything. There is going to be mystery on this side of eternity. We might place our trust in the wrong person, believe a lie, or let our feelings steer the ship. We will get it wrong sometimes. That’s all okay.
Because we serve a God not of disorder, chaos, or confusion––but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). May we experience that peace in increasing measure as we learn to put our trust in him.
Reflection Questions
- Take some time to sift through your thoughts and emotions. What lies have you been believing? What areas have you been placing your trust in that maybe need to be reassessed? Then, be still and thank God for his Holy Spirit, his Word, and his character that are always trustworthy.
- Have you ever misplaced your trust in something or someone? Reflect on that experience and what it revealed to you about where to place your trust.
Photo credit: Jenna Martin
Hannah Jessen Conway intentionally pursues themes of faith, motherhood, and mental health in her writing. She works in nonprofit marketing and published her first children's book in the fall of 2024 inspired by the birth of her deaf son. She’s a Jesus follower, wife to her college sweetheart, and mama of two boys. You can usually find her cheering on the Tar Heels, enjoying the North Carolina sunshine, or writing in a local coffee shop. Read more of her work at hjconway.com.
