TRUST: GOD & HUMAN FRAILTY
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; in all your ways, be mindful of Him and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil; this will mean health for your flesh and vigor for your bones." (Pro 3:7,8)
We often hear of sayings regarding the trust factor: "I can only trust you only inasmuch as I can throw you" or "In God we trust but everyone else pays cash!" Trust is, by nature, very fragile and yet very resilient. Once broken, it is very hard to regain. Often we hear to forgive is human but to forgive and forget is divine and I am not God! Trust and respect are earned by time and testing. "Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth." By contrast: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress but still bears fruit." (Jer 17:5-8)
Trust has with it certain variables. What can I entrust to who and to what degree of information? We must consider human frailty. Some may be sincere but weak in holding a confidence prone to gossip while others appear to be a friend but in reality may resent or dislike you. Even Jesus exclaims, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Lk 2:48) By definition trust: 1) is a firm belief or confidence in the honesty, integrity, reliability, justice, etc. of another person or thing; faith; reliance 2) confident expectation, anticipation, or hope. (New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd college edition) Many friendships have been destroyed by the slip of the tongue and unforeseen circumstances in disruption of obligations and responsibilities.
Our intentions may be sincere and honorable but we are imperfect, subject to disappointing ourselves and others. In text of the Ideal Wife of Pro 31, "When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband entrusting his heart to her has an unfailing prize." Many marriages have disintegrated along with friendships, relationships, business associations, positions, etc. because of telling all and "easing of one's conscience!" We need wisdom and discernment as to how, what, when, where, to whom, specifics, etc, when entrusting information and bearing your soul. Your sins are under the blood of Christ and forgiven. When you disclose something for the sake of easing your conscience, you may very well be listening to the voice of deception and not Truth. Once admission is disclosed, the human mind is that of the law of reason and subject to human emotions. There is no reeling it back in, once out it is irretrievable.
Is it possible to regain trust once broken and earn back respect? Absolutely! The first merit of love is forgiveness and with the anointing of the Holy Spirit with the proclamation of the Gospel is to heal the broken hearted. But to what degree is that trust reinstated and respect given? It must be earned. People will disappoint because we are flawed and imperfect. And so are we ourselves. Yet, it is by faith expressed by love we choose to trust. God never disappoints yet the number one reason for divorce as well as deserting Christ is "unfulfilled expectations." As human persons we have a need for the expression of our souls, be it consciously or unconsciously, oral or body language, intentional or unintentional.
"Let your acquaintances be many but one in a thousand your confidant. When you gain a friend, first test him and be not too ready to trust him." (Sir 6:6,7) Intelligence is the enemy of faith. We normally rationalize and come to conclusions according to logic via limited and flawed information in understanding. I can only trust you inasmuch as I can see Christ Jesus in you and by personal observation and interaction. Faith and commitment keeps us connected through love and mercy. We can obtain wisdom from academics but most effectively from the experiences of ourselves and others. I must trust in God's love for me who never disappoints. I choose to believe that nothing can ever happen to me or my loved ones, no matter how tragic or detrimental, that a greater good is realized. Recognizing human frailty, I must rely on God's grace and mercy in holding someone's confidentiality to the standard that I would desire of someone holding the secrets of my soul.