Knowing how to die and knowing how to live

Last night we reflected on the significance of the last sayings of Christ. I had an opportunity to talk about Jesus' saying: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. To me, these final words revealed a pure and total trust in the Father. Ultimately, Jesus entrusted His spirit into the Father's care. It seems to me that this is a model for living and dying. Is it possible to live without trust? Many times I have witnessed the toxicity that exists in marriages and families without trust. All too often I have been called into organizational meetings to try and remedy ills that were due to a lack of trust. Life without trust is not what God has in mind for us. If we spend our lives doubting God or denying His love for us, we distance ourselves from His power to transform us. Of course, God does not intend for us to live without trust. Nor does He intend for us to die without trusting Him. When Jesus spoke these words He knew that the Father's plan for Him on earth was finished. Also, He knew that the plan for the future was secure. His death was a sacrificial death for our sins. But, it was also a demonstration of the best way to die...trusting our heavenly Father.