I used to think that if I dotted every i and crossed every t, I could protect myself from disaster. Follow the rules exactly. Work harder than anyone else. It can feel like this actually helps, like we can avoid what “other people” deal with because we’re “doing it right.”

The problem, of course, is that life doesn’t follow the rules. Other people run red lights and T-bone your car. Other people steal your identity and ruin your credit. Other people cheat and steal and lie. And frankly, we’re not perfect, no matter how hard we try.

We are left with the fact that we can’t control our lives, and this can feel like being on one of those awful summer fair rides that spin endlessly. Get me off!

So no, you can’t hope in your own integrity, even though you should still keep it. And it’s not just reverence for God that keeps your head above water. It’s something deeper, truer, and ultimately easier. It’s believing his love is still present when the world is falling apart. It’s hoping in what we can’t see or control. It’s faith.