Relationship Reliability: Who Do You Trust?

February 5, 2014

“Come on, trust me.”

Has someone ever told you that, or words like it? Did you trust them just on their say-so?

Maybe you did, but I’ll bet they had some sort of authority, like a cop or fireman. Otherwise, if we haven’t had a chance to know someone, to learn their abilities and habits, we won’t trust them at their word.

That’s caution. It’s a wise thing.

Maybe you’re the type who trusts people too easily. I remember a time in college when there was a small group of dorm mates whom I had convinced that I was a princess in exile. My country was called Sherrovia and it was just south of France. Of course, it was a very small country, so no wonder they’d never heard of it.

I was floored that these young women believed my made-up story. I kept the fantasy train going for a few days, then told them the truth (I’m not that heartless!). I never figured out quite why they fell for the fib I told them.

Were they the type who trusts too easily? Maybe I was just a good storyteller. Or were they humoring me to see what would happen? No one ever ‘fessed up. Oh, well.

Maybe you don’t trust at all. Even after someone has proven their trustworthiness, you still are skeptical about anything they say or do. Are you suspicious of everyone?

Been there. I always looked for the cloud with the tarnished silver lining. I was a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic. A cynic, if you will.

What about God? Do you trust Him? Most of us trust ourselves more than we trust God. When things don’t go exactly as we planned, we try to figure out a Plan B without ever asking God’s opinion. If we do ask, we don’t wait for an answer but go ahead on our own. If we hear an answer we don’t like, we disregard it. Is that because we don’t think we really heard from God or because we think we can do a better job? Ouch! Either way, we muddle through by ourselves. No trust there.

So, how did we get in this mess? Whether we trust people too easily or not enough, there are reasons. If we have trouble trusting God, there are reasons for that, too.