Trust Structures vs the Anatomy of Trust

At every moment, chosen or not, we are all in the process of being formed into something- for better or for worse.  I shudder to take a slice of time out of my day, examine it in retrospect, and wonder what I formed in my being by the choices I made, the things I said, and the reactions I permitted to run their course. Sometimes it goes well…sometimes it doesn’t. But they all count. So I want to be aware, let the scales of mundane fog fall from my eyes, so I can see what these things are that shape my being. Searching out the unseen, we find words that make a map from spiritual formation writer, Robert Mulholland. 

Mulholland calls these soul shaping things “trust structures”.  I think we most often become aware of them in two ways (1) when we pay attention to our “feelings are road signs”.  We notice theuncomfortable feelings of stress or shame or anger or harsh self-talk, They point us to the unseen scaffolding of beliefs that needs to be acknowledged and examined. 

Just as often we detect these “structures” in our unseen parts (2) when we sense  rough or sharp relational edges that are bumped up against by others, often those closest to us, in times of stress and worry.  Often these rough edges in us are manifested in outward shapes of…

scrambling, impatience, withdraw, anxious pursuing, hustling around hurried, rationalizing, comparing, blame, accusation, and other relationship discomforts…on and on.

As Mulholland explains, these ill-fitting aspects grow from the  “trust structures”  sewn in our depths: “The deep-seated attitudes and inner orientations of our being out of which our behavior patterns flow… our trust structures… especially those deep inner postures of our being that do not rely on God but on self for our well-being.”   P. 99

What does he mean by “inner orientations”?  Orientation means: to find one's position in relation to new and strange surroundings.  When we hit an unexpected glitch in our day, be it a work snag, confrontation with an acquaintance, a messy moment with a disrespectful son or daughter, etc.…we have landed on a moment that requires us to get our bearings, focus on something and lean on something.

When we orient toward our on self-sufficiency, we become an anxiety driven person, anchored in a trust structure of an unreliable nature. I know what that feels like.  “Anxiety driven persons are also compelled to impose their own order on the events of their lives. Layer upon layer of defenses and securities are constructed to keep the unpredictable and unexpected from intruding into their carefully ordered world.”

So when something throws us off, as an anxiety driven person (sometimes this is covert. You may not consider yourself an anxiously driven person…but if your small, self-based trust structure crumbles, that is a recipe for anxiety for the coolest of cucumbers.) we act on our self reliant trust structures in a myriad of personal expressions: accusing others, defending ourselves, raising the volume on control,  depend on outward appearance, melting into a numbed pile of giving up. These are all “round pegs” attempting to fit in a square hole.

               

What will really satisfy is to orient ourselves toward the Eternal Himself, step back, and watch the glory unfold from a Trust Structure that won’t fail.  But we won’t see it without removing  the scales we habitually let cover our eyes. The expression of this differs person to person, but Mullholland expands brilliantly on Paul’s Anatomy of Trust found in Philippians 4:5

Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.(ASV)

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! (Message)

“The Greek term translated “forbearance” conveys the idea of living according to an established structure of reality in the face of alternatives, especially threatening ones.”

I can only do this when I chose to believe “The Lord is at hand” or “the Master is about to arrive. He could show up at any minute!”  That changes everything.  

I call this  a “promised based economy” that we may choose to live in.  An alternative to the “economy of fear and scarcity” that the world seems to gravitate to.  Just like radios tuned to classical or news or rap or country...we as human beings have the invitation and ability in our thought life to tune into and orient ourselves to the system of priorities and beliefs that we filter our lives through.

“Paul is indicating that Christ's disciples live their lives within a particular order of being - one who's structures of character and dynamics of being transcend destructive events... It is the Transcendence of deeper  order that embraces our tenuous and fragile world order and incorporates its disruption, even its destruction, into an eternal wholeness…The Christian’s identity and value do not reside in the fragile order and tenuous control that he or she imposes on life.  Identity and value are found in the vital and living relationship with Christ as Lord. This relationship liberates Christians from dependence on their little systems of order and fragile structures of control.  Not that believers live without order or control, but that they are liberated from dependency on those systems and structures for their sense of self.  P. 102

Stay tuned, it has been a long time coming since I posted a blog.  I had too much to say and will save some of the beautiful nuggets of “how to” for next month. In the meantime, consider yourself invited to the table.  Pull up a chair and wipe the windshield of your eyes and feel the abundance of transcending your “little systems of order and fragile structures of control” with the anatomy of trust.

Mulholland, R. (2016) Invitation to a Journey. Intervarsity Press. Downers Grove, IL.