The Danger of Trusting Things and Using God

The Danger of Trusting Things and Using God

Based on a thought by John C. Lennox!

By : Dr. Joshua Thangaraj Gnanasekar (PT)

Asst professor (Physiotherapy), Founder and Director (Academy of Christian Studies)

Introduction

In a world dominated by materialism and self-reliance, it’s easy—even tempting—to reverse the proper order of trust and dependence. John C. Lennox, a brilliant Christian thinker, warns us with a profound statement:

“Trust God and use your things; don’t trust your things and use God.”

This statement captures a critical divide between true, biblical faith and the idolatrous counterfeit that often masquerades as faith. It demands a careful examination of what (or who) we truly rely on in our lives.

This article explores the difference between subjective, relative faith versus objective, absolute faith in God. It exposes the danger of idolizing gifts rather than the Giver, and calls us to genuine, furnace-tested trust.

1. Trusting Things: The Inverted Order of Idolatry

Many people, even well-meaning believers, fall into the trap of placing their trust in the things they possess — whether that is status, education, talent, finances, achievements, or even religious experiences. When we anchor our faith in these, we no longer serve God; we try to use Him.

In this inverted mindset:

• God becomes a means to an end (success, health, wealth, happiness).

• Our prayers sound more like transactions than communion.

• Our faith becomes brittle, collapsing when our “things” are threatened or removed.

This is nothing short of idolatry. As the Bible says:

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised.” (Romans 1:25, NIV)

When faith becomes subjective—centered on what we feel, want, or experience—it becomes relative, shaped by our circumstances and desires. Such a faith trusts in idols we have crafted, whether physical, emotional, intellectual, or material.

In this way, materialism and naturalism distort our view of God. God is no longer the supreme treasure; He is merely a “tool” to secure treasures we already worship in our hearts.

2. Subjective, Relative Faith: A Path to Idolatry

When faith is subjective:

• It is based on personal preference, feelings, and conditions.

• It fluctuates with circumstances—strong in prosperity, weak in suffering.

• It is essentially self-centered, placing self at the throne, with “God” orbiting around our desires.

Subjective faith says:

• “I believe because I am blessed.”

• “I trust because things are going well.”

• “I have faith because I see results.”

This kind of faith is unstable. Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the soils:

“But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” (Matthew 13:21, NIV)

If faith depends on circumstances, it is no different from the world’s utilitarian approach to everything: use whatever works. Such faith is not faith in God but in outcomes.

3. Trusting God: The Right Order of True Faith

True biblical faith is objective because it rests on the unchanging, absolute character of God Himself.

It is not based on what God does for us but on who God is.

When faith is objective:

• It is anchored in the eternal attributes of God — His goodness, sovereignty, faithfulness, love, and justice.

• It remains steady whether in a palace or a prison, a hospital or a honeymoon.

• It is a response to revelation, not emotion.

This is the kind of faith we see in the heroes of Scripture. Consider the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when faced with the fiery furnace:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18, NIV)

Their trust was not in the outcome but in God Himself.

In or out of the furnace — it didn’t matter. God was worthy of trust.

4. Not the Staff of Moses, But the God of Moses

The story of Moses illustrates this principle vividly.

The staff Moses carried was used by God to part the Red Sea, bring water from a rock, and perform miracles before Pharaoh. But Moses’ trust was never ultimately in the staff — it was in the God who empowered the staff.

The staff was merely an instrument.

The Source of power and authority was always God.

Likewise, we must be careful not to trust the “staffs” in our lives:

• Our abilities

• Our opportunities

• Our ministries

• Our influence

These are tools in God’s hand, not the foundation of our faith.

If we trust the tool more than the Giver, we fall into practical idolatry.

5. Faith That Stands in Fire

True, objective faith is tested in fire. Like gold purified in flames, authentic trust in God is proved when everything else is stripped away.

When circumstances are against us, when prayers seem unanswered, when dreams shatter—what remains is what is real.

Peter writes:

“These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7, NIV)

Faith that endures the fire is faith that has God alone as its object.

6. Application: How to Cultivate True Trust in God

a. Examine Your Heart

Ask yourself honestly:

• Is my trust in God, or in what He gives?

• Would I still love and worship Him if He took away the gifts?

b. Ground Your Faith in Scripture

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Feed your heart daily with the truth about God’s unchanging nature.

c. Practice Thankfulness

Recognize all blessings as gifts, not entitlements.

Thank God not just for what He gives but for who He is.

d. Hold Things Lightly

Use your possessions, talents, and opportunities wisely — but hold them with an open hand, not a clenched fist.

e. Prepare for Trials

Determine beforehand, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that even if God does not deliver, your trust will remain unshaken.

Conclusion

John Lennox’s wise statement points us to a liberating, biblical truth:

Trust God and use your things; don’t trust your things and use God.

Faith in things—whether talents, achievements, or experiences—is unstable, idolatrous, and ultimately self-serving.

But faith in God—the absolute, unchanging, sovereign God—is steadfast, joyful, and enduring.

When we place our trust where it belongs, we are free.

Free to use things without being enslaved by them.

Free to face furnaces without fear.

Free to walk in peace, knowing our foundation is immovable.

May we be a generation that uses things but trusts God — never the reverse.

By : Dr. Joshua Thangaraj Gnanasekar (PT)

Asst professor (Physiotherapy), Founder and Director (Academy of Christian Studies)