Trust is the fuel of life. Trust makes everything work because we have been wired to trust both God and other trustworthy people. In the days ahead, I pray that God will teach you how to build trusting relationships or strengthen the trust in your relationships. When we get trust right, we live in safe, reliable relationships that are for our good and not our harm. When we get trust right, we submit our lives to the Lord and He makes our path straight.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. PROVERBS 3:5-6
So what does it take to live in trusting relationships? I suggested on Sunday that it requires two things:
Trust requires work because trust is built on seeking to understand others. Seeking to understand others means we put their wants, needs, and desires above our own. It means that we go deeper in our relationship. This is work. It is also work to live consistently. Living consistently shows a track record of trustworthiness. It's work to live the Jesus principle of being faithful with a little and trusted with much. But the work we put into trusting relationships is always worth it.
Trust also requires risk. It's risky to be vulnerable. It's risky to put yourself out there and seek a new relationship or a deeper relationship. It's risky because you might get let down in the future. It's risky because you may have been hurt in the past. Despite the risk, be the real you and trust trustworthy people. If you feel alone and have no one to trust, then trust God. Because even when you can't trust others, you can always trust God! Read the encouragement from Psalm 56.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? PSALM 56:3-4
Do the hard work of being trustworthy. Do the risky work of trusting others!
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. PROVERBS 3:5-6
So what does it take to live in trusting relationships? I suggested on Sunday that it requires two things:
- It requires work.
- It requires risk.
Trust requires work because trust is built on seeking to understand others. Seeking to understand others means we put their wants, needs, and desires above our own. It means that we go deeper in our relationship. This is work. It is also work to live consistently. Living consistently shows a track record of trustworthiness. It's work to live the Jesus principle of being faithful with a little and trusted with much. But the work we put into trusting relationships is always worth it.
Trust also requires risk. It's risky to be vulnerable. It's risky to put yourself out there and seek a new relationship or a deeper relationship. It's risky because you might get let down in the future. It's risky because you may have been hurt in the past. Despite the risk, be the real you and trust trustworthy people. If you feel alone and have no one to trust, then trust God. Because even when you can't trust others, you can always trust God! Read the encouragement from Psalm 56.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? PSALM 56:3-4
Do the hard work of being trustworthy. Do the risky work of trusting others!