This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Everybody Always" by Bob Goff. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Do you move through life carefully and always trying to plan for the unknown future? Why is it so important to trust in Jesus and be honest with Him?
In his book Everybody, Always, Bob Goff discusses the importance of putting blind trust in Jesus. Goff says that until you stop trying to control every aspect of your future, you will not find real faith.
Keep reading for more information on putting your trust in Jesus from Everybody, Always.
Put Your Trust in Jesus
When you look down the road of your life, you probably only see a few steps ahead at a time. You use the information gathered from this short distance to guide your actions. You move ahead again until it’s time to stop and peer farther down until you see the next set of steps. When you move through life in this measured way, you’re not putting your trust in Jesus. Real faith gives you the strength to follow the road of your life blindly.
In the book Everybody, Always, one of author Bob Goff’s friends is a blind track star named Lex, who is a para-Olympian and World Champion in the long jump. It might seem impossible for a blind person to compete in the long jump, which requires seeing the end of the track and the platform from which to launch your body through the air. But Lex has a partner he trusts who points him in the right direction. The partner then calls to Lex from next to the sandpit so he knows when to jump. This blind trust allows Lex to compete at the highest levels and succeed.
Jesus is like Lex’s partner. He points you in the right direction and asks you to trust Him as you move forward. That trust is the epitome of faith. Jesus wants you to run toward His voice at the edge of your life with all your strength, believing that you will know when to jump and will land safely. But this task is not always easy. You hear many voices that have an opinion about who you are and where you’re headed. Some of those voices are negative. They say you’ll never accomplish what you want to do or don’t have the abilities needed. They’ll make you fear failing, and when you do fail, they’ll show you why you should never try again.
You must learn to parse through these voices and find Jesus’s voice. His voice is the only one you need to listen to. Along your journey to live as God, you will wander from the path and become afraid. You will stop moving or find that your steps are smaller than before. You may trip and fall for no discernible reason. These things will happen, but it’s okay when they do. Making it down the path correctly and in record time is not what God delights in. He is happiest when He sees you taking steps, even small ones, and when you pick yourself up when things haven’t gone as you hoped. His voice will not leave you if you stray from the path, and if you listen for it, Jesus will guide you back to where you belong.
The Second Touch
Sometimes, Jesus’s voice will come in the form of a friend, like Lex’s partner. God sends you people you can trust to help guide your life. But it can be hard to recognize those people if you’re not honest about what you’re seeing and not seeing. Take the example from the Bible about a blind man who was healed by Jesus. Jesus touched him once and asked what the man saw. The man, risking insult to Jesus’s healing powers, said he saw people who looked like trees walking around. Jesus touched him again, and the man’s full vision was restored so he could see the world as it actually was.
When you become love, you are working with that second touch. The trick is you have to be honest about what you see and don’t see after that first touch. Your first encounter with a person may not be great. Maybe you don’t understand their perspective on life or their attitude and actions. But if you are honest about your confusion or differences, you can have a second encounter that helps you see their worldview more clearly or at least better understand it. From this place, you can give them love, and trust is formed.
Pay attention to the people you meet and wait for that second touch. This person might be the trusted voice God sent to help you grow and move farther down the road.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Bob Goff's "Everybody Always" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Everybody Always summary :
- How to live your life like Jesus lived his
- Why you need to open yourself up to God's love and give love to others
- How to deepen your faith by focusing on love rather than showing that you "agree" with God
