I know logically we can’t be couch potatoes & expect God to do everything for us. After all we are to seek His Kingdom first, which implies some kind of action to be undertaken. But theologically where is the line between relying on our strength & relying on God? What does the Church teach on this?
I don’t think that your question is really about trusting God, but rather when we should submit ourselves completely to God’s will and allow Him to lead us. Am I correct?
III. GOD, “HE WHO IS”, IS TRUTH AND LOVE
214 God, “HE WHO IS”, revealed himself to Israel as the one “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”.27 These two terms express summarily the riches of the divine name. In all his works
God displays, not only his kindness, goodness, grace and steadfast love, but also his trustworthiness, constancy, faithfulness and truth. "I give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness."28 He is the Truth, for “God is light and in him there is no darkness”; “God is love”, as the apostle John teaches.29
God is Truth
215 "The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever."30 “And now, O LORD God, you are God, and your words are true”;31 this is why God’s promises always come true.32 God is Truth itself, whose words cannot deceive. This is why
one can abandon oneself in full trust to the truth and faithfulness of his word in all things. The beginning of sin and of man’s fall was due to a lie of the tempter who induced doubt of God’s word, kindness and faithfulness.
227 It means
trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity. A prayer of St. Teresa of Jesus wonderfully expresses this trust:
Let nothing trouble you / Let nothing frighten you
Everything passes / God never changes
Patience / Obtains all
Whoever has God / Wants for nothing
God alone is enough.52
322 Christ invites us to filial
trust in the providence of our heavenly Father (cf. Mt 6:26-34), and St. Peter the apostle repeats: “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you” (I Pt 5:7; cf. Ps 55:23).
2086 “The first commandment embraces faith, hope, and charity. When we say ‘God’ we confess a constant, unchangeable being, always the same, faithful and just, without any evil. It follows that we must necessarily accept his words and **have complete faith in him **and acknowledge his authority. He is almighty, merciful, and infinitely beneficent. Who could not place all hope in him? Who could not love him when contemplating the treasures of goodness and love he has poured out on us? Hence the formula God employs in the Scripture at the beginning and end of his commandments: ‘I am the LORD.’”
2828 “Give us”: **The trust of children who look to their Father for everything is beautiful. **"He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."113 He gives to all the living "their food in due season."114 Jesus teaches us this petition, because it glorifies our Father by acknowledging how good he is, beyond all goodness.8
So, we must trust God in every moment of every day with true fulness of faith and love and without doubt in His mercy and Goodness.
We should also act in charity to provide for our needs in accordance to His will understanding that every good deed of ours comes from God. He works through us and with us when we submit to His will. Some things, are substantially out of our control, such as the illness of loved ones, but we are still always capable of working to achieve a good putcome through God’s gift of prayer and our own lovingkindness towards the person who needs our care.
The greatest danger, IMHO, is testing God by demanding that God act in ways to “prove” that our trust is not misguided. Patience, faith, and acceptance are always required. Accepting God’s gifts means accepting His timing and His methods. He ALWAYS works for our Good. Sometimes the answer is “No”. We must accept this with faith that God must have something better in mind for us!
2119
Tempting God consists in putting his goodness and almighty power to the test by word or deed. Thus Satan tried to induce Jesus to throw himself down from the Temple and, by this gesture, force God to act.49 Jesus opposed Satan with the word of God: "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test."50 The challenge contained in **such tempting of God wounds the respect and trust we owe our Creator and Lord. It always harbors doubt about his love, his providence, and his power.**51
