Trust as a Spiritual Practice

PRACTICE
52 Weeks of Spiritual Practice
By Deborah Williams

The purpose of the 52 Principles is to develop a partnership, a connection with God. Connecting with God is why we are here; the soul’s desire. To be in communication with the Creator is ideally the most fulfilling life, our best life. The intent of the 52 Principles is God-realization through daily practice. Practice the principles with frequency and find God-consciousness through your own efforts. With practice, you will begin to encounter your experiences in a spiritual context as you begin to practice and master spiritual principles. This week’s spiritual principle is Trust.

Trust is a simple process – you either trust or you don’t. Trusting self; trusting God; trusting others; and trusting the Process of life.  Self-trust is the foundation of all trust. Trusting is taking a risk and stepping outside boundaries. To trust is to know and to feel. Life is limited when you do not trust. Trust is a choice with no evidence you will be supported. Understanding the Process of trust, and developing your Process around your gifts and talents are acts of trust. Put a Process together and trust that it will work.

Self-Assessment:

Every person has a gift or talent and we seek to identify our talents to satisfy the longing of our soul. We are born to share our gift/talent with humanity. Our gift/talent is our soul’s calling to serve God, others, and self. What does a “gift” feel like and how will you know it is a gift?

• Your activities are gratifying
• Your desire is to help and serve others
• Your unique talent satisfies a need
• You experience timeless awareness 
• You experience joy
• You are not burdened by your task
• You share your awareness with others 

You know the things that you do better than anyone else. You have been told that you are the “best” in one or several areas. Explore your interests, and trust that God will guide and direct your path; ask and you will receive – seek and you will find. Envision the things you love to do and do them.

Trust Practices:

Here is a simple Process in developing trust in yourself, and trust that you will be supported by God. To follow through, you will need to develop a Process and believe that God is supporting you, even when there are no signs indicating that what you know/feel is the right action for you. You are required to do what feels right for you; do the best you can do; and have an honest and honorable intent. Trust your Process.

•  Have a good thought about yourself and for yourself
•  Believe it is the right thought
•  Develop a plan that includes your gift /talent
•  Give the plan to God
•  Ask for direction/guidance from God
•  Follow through
•  Give thanks for what you have and will receive
• When in doubt, repeat the Process

Identify your unique talent and commit fully to your Process; put forth a disciplined effort; do not cut corners; refrain from negative speech; maintain a positive and motivated frame of mind; do not fear or doubt; be thorough; look for the best and most efficient method; keep the end result in mind; and trust that you are supported by God.

Identify how you trust the Process of life. How do you share your unique talents and gifts with others? Develop your own spiritual practice.

 Peace and Many Blessings