always trusts?
I was asked a very interesting question this past week.
Should trust be earned or automatically given?
My instinctive, emphatic reply was that trust should be earned, although I felt like the correct, or spiritual, answer was that it should be given. But I didn’t really know why.
I was pointed to a verse that says very simply: Love always trusts.
How have I never noticed that before? It’s in the famous “love chapter” for crying out loud. I’ve seen it. Read it. Underlined it. But I never stopped to even think about what I was so busy Amen-ing. Love always trusts? Isn’t that what we call… naive? Gullible? A sucker?
He broke it down for me a little further: “I should always give trust. You should have to earn my distrust.” Some people automatically earn your distrust (like the drunk guy on the street asking for food money), but otherwise trust should always be given. Making someone need to earn it, need to prove themselves, means making them work for my love.
This love-always-trusts stew has been simmering in my brain ever since. Automatically giving trust means setting myself up to be hurt, disappointed, let down. It means opening the door for trust to be broken even more than it already so often is. Does this line of thinking mean I’m cynical? Skeptical? Hard-hearted?
What do you think?
“love always trust”…..mmm…
i think that ‘door for trust to be broken’ gets blown wide open when you just automatically give trust. maybe because i want to protect myself from getting hurt over and over agian, i believe that trust should be earned. and once trust is broken it doesn’t get repaired easily….or ever.
i don’t think one can be called cynical, skeptical or hard-hearted when you don’t trust someone….
I think that “LOVE always trusts”…not “trust always trusts”…if that makes any sense. I think I need to ponder this a little more. Thanks…as if I didn’t have enough on my brain today :)
mmm. i think i lean towards the trusting side. sometimes it’s a good thing, but i have been let down enough to make me wary in some aspects. wary is a good word for it–nothing wrong with watching your own back occasionally. if you know that’s what you’re doing.
Here is another verse to think about–John 2:24-5 NIV.
“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.”
Jesus never trusted anybody. And God still doesn’t. How could He? We are broken, flawed. And even the angels who did not fall from Heaven are still creations. So why would The Almighty Creator trust His creations when He knows that they, too, can fall?
BUT even though Jesus never trusted anybody, He was never cynical, never bitter. Not because he didn’t have His reasons to be cynical and bitter, but because He had full confidence in The Father’s grace and mercy and forgivenss and peace.
So here is where not trusting someone is actually Good News. Because The Gospel is only good news to bad people.
NE – you’ve got me really thinking. i don’t know that jesus never trusted anybody. (although for my distrusting heart, that would be the perfect excuse!)
v. 23(NLT) says – “because of the miraculous signs jesus did in jerusalem at the passover celebration, many began to trust in him.” and then v. 24 goes on – “but Jesus didn’t trust them…”
could it be saying he didn’t trust the new converts, not all people in general?
his relationship with his disciples, particularly the 3 closest to him, lends me to think he trusted them.
and he trusted us when he left his message in our hands; if we had to prove ourselves first, forgeddaboudid…
hmmmm…
KA – trying to wrap my brain around your differentiation. if love always trusts (as 1 cor. 13 says), then i, too, must always trust. for i am called to love as He loved… right?!?!
Still pondering.
But I am thinking that I am not agreeing with NE…about Christ not trusting…He trusted “man” with the most important thing ever…furthering the message of the gospel.
Yes, I don’t totally agree with NE. He did trust to some degree, or at least “rely on” (if I can be so bold so as to say this). He came as a baby, the most vulnerable position. And not just a baby, as a Jewish baby in a turbulent time of the Roman Empire…I would say that shows some degree of trust.
If He did not trust the disciples at all, I would think He would be lonely. Of course, He had constant communication with God but He was also fully human with involves relationships…which invovles trusting.
He did rely on us to spread the Gospel – without man the Great Commission won’t be fulfilled.
Even though Jesus knew what was in the heart of man…He still placed Himself in a position of (at least appearing to) trust.
NE’s reference to John…maybe that alludes to the degree that Jesus would invest into them (obviously He invested all of Himself into man at the cross…but at that moment in time). He wasn’t just completely open them saying “here I am, everyone be my best friend and hear my heart’s longings”.
It sounds cold to say that there should be a difference between who we trust “enough” to love and those who we trust to invest ourselves and our heart in. There are people that I trust but that I don’t share my heart with.
But to trust intitally…yikes. That’s a “hard saying”. I don’t…and maybe that is cynical.
Do you think maybe Jesus could trust, even knowing He would be hurt, because His relationship with God was so strong that He knew He could turn to God to find healing when men hurt Him? That He was so secure in the love of God that men couldn’t injure Him deeply.
wow, danielle… THIS sentence really got me:”That He was so secure in the love of God that men couldn’t injure Him deeply.” that seems so unattainable to me right now. man oh man…
Our nature of love rests in the truth that he loved us first.
1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”
If we have not love we know him not.
1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Being born of God means we take on his characteristics. (Just as we take on the physical characteristics of our earthly parents we also take on the spiritual characteristics of our Heavenly Father when we are born of him.)
1 John 4:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
Fear is the reason we do not trust.
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
When I look at 1 Corinthians 13 I don’t see a list of “dos and don’ts”, rather I see a diagnostic chart. Allowing the love of God to be expressed in this earth through my life is a process of maturing (perfection in 1 John 4:18 means maturity). During this process I can come back to the list and see what God has been able to work into my life and thank him for it. The other things on the list that are not evident in my life are things that I can hope for and trust that he will cause to become reality in my life. If I see something missing from my life included on the list I can thank God for bringing that to my attention and then present myself as an obedient child willing to learn from him.
To answer your final questions… The simple fact that you are concerned about being hard of heart means that you are not. We would not have had the honor of peeking into your precious soul had you been hard-hearted. You would not have even heard the sweet whisper of the Holy Spirit revealing his character to you, had you been hard of heart.
(All scriptures quoted from the NIV)
yes, i know me too…but we’re headed i that direction as we see even in this “conversation”
Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket–safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.
i’m so honored that c.s. lewis commented on my blog! (ha ha!)
“to love is to be vulnerable”… mmmmm….
so… angie, are you thinking that yes, we should always give trust and not require it to be earned?
I tell my kids that they have my trust until they prove otherwise and then they have to earn it. Maybe it is different with each relationship.
(skip to the bottom if you want the bottom line)
In Bolivia you are guilty until proved innocent.
In the United States you are innocent until proved guilty.
In the Kingdom of God all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (guilty) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (justified).
Nobody can earn our trust. The moment that we qualify and define what behaviors would need to be displayed to earn our trust there will be just one more thing that we want to add to the list and it will go on like that until we are bitter and friendless. Trust is given. Period.
Should we always give trust? Looking back to the golden rule I would appreciate that people would always give their trust to me, so I should always give my trust to other people.
In relationships where I have been entrusted with a certain responsibility it has empowered me to perform that task with excellence. When people have been leery of me I have been nervous and more likely to fail them because I know that is what they are expecting of me.
Here we are addressing the connection between love and trust. This would be a whole new conversation if we were looking at the word of God in reference to the company we are instructed to keep and the relative distance we are to maintain from people displaying certain characteristics.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another.
No – trust should not be required to be earned because in its essence it a choice I make. By definition it cannot be earned.
Yes – we should always give trust. I am not saying that I am there yet, by any means. But if I am going to err I would rather err on the side of love.
my brain hurts
my “counselor”, mr. troll, told me that i trust way too easily, and that i WAS naive and gullible. and because of that i would only get hurt….actually i believe he said “the world will eat you alive”.
it didn’t set well with me. i’ve always thought that trust was automatic. i loved the statement, “someone should have to earn my distrust.” it’s so right on. who am i to judge prematurely that a person shouldn’t be trusted?
even the man on the street begging for food money. discretion is key, but when i have what a person is asking for, who am i to say no to him? just because i don’t TRUST that he is going to use it as he says he will. it’s not my position to decide where he takes it.
my only job is to love him as God loves him. and since love always trusts, to trust him.
i don’t know….
just some thoughts.
brian — welcome to the g&g conversation! i think i’ve always viewed trust as different for each relationship… i’m mulling over the “rightness” of that, i guess…
angie — you are so thorough. and have put a lot of thought/digging into this. thank you for the brain food!
my “counselor”, mr. troll, told me that i trust way too easily, and that i WAS naive and gullible. and because of that i would only get hurt….actually i believe he said “the world will eat you alive”.
it didn’t set well with me. i’ve always thought that trust was automatic. i loved the statement, “someone should have to earn my distrust.” it’s so right on. who am i to judge prematurely that a person shouldn’t be trusted?
even the man on the street begging for food money. discretion is key, but when i have what a person is asking for, who am i to say no to him? just because i don’t TRUST that he is going to use it as he says he will. it’s not my position to decide where he takes it.
my only job is to love him as God loves him. and since love always trusts, to trust him.
i don’t know….
just some thoughts.
Thank YOU for a good conversation.
joy renee — THAT counselor? oh dear. (bad memories… on your behalf!) some good thoughts there, friend. good thoughts indeed. i’m glad you chimed in.
Hmmm. Lots to think about here. As for me I feel that trust is necessary to being a Christian. Every time I’ve been tempted to lower my predisposition to trust I’ve felt that it would harden my heart significantly. I’d rather learn to heal more quickly than harden my heart.
Bleh.
Being in the Navy has given me plenty of opportunities to distrust. In the midst of it all I’ve decided that distrust was not a good response but at the same time I should approach things “wise as a serpent, but innocent as a dove”.
Trusting does not mean turning off one’s ability to evaluate, to stop asking questions…. in fact it has seemed lately to be almost the opposite. Those who I trust most I tend to evaluate the most. If I just met someone I’ll usually take what they say at face value, act in return and keep going. However if someone I know makes a comment I find myself examining its meaning and the effects of their actions deeply. Why?
Because I care. The more I care about a person the more I find myself evaluating them.
The same is true of me. I definitely trust myself and yet I constantly go to others to see what they’ve noticed in my actions and what their concerns are about my motives because usually they will catch something that I missed. If they notice something a little-offish, I can listen and fix it.
I don’t need to stop testing and examining to trust.
Mistrust is usually given without the courtesy of examination.
david — hmm… i like your angle.
You know, I have often found that skeptical/negative people have to have someone earn their trust, while those who are more positive/encouraging trust people automatically. And like you say, they trust until trust is no longer earned.
Whether you trust automatically or feel it needs to be earned, we should follow Proverbs 4:23…”Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.”
My two cents :)
cindy — mmmmm…. that stung, but for probably the very reason that you’re right.
as for the whole “guard your heart” thing that opens up a whole new can o’ worms in my mind on the real meaning of all that. but i’ll save for that for another day!
my brain still hurts………
On Cindy’s comment – yes – the whole circle of influence discussion could easily be a little rabbit trail from this talk.
I’d have to agree with Mandy on this one.
Angie & David, those were very insightful comments.
The only thing I can added is that love and trust kind of go hand and hand. I would think it is very hard to sustain a relationship if you don’t trust the person you think you love.
I can’t speak to religious love, but I would think trust in God’s guidance was an absolute requirement. Trust is faith. I would not think a person could have one with out the other.
Living and working in the world is a different story. Any boss who places 100% trust in a new worker is taking a very big risk. In the work place trust must be earned.
Any one who automatically trust a stranger in the street is also taking a very big risk. Be friendly, yes. Be helpful if someone needs direction, yes. Keep a smile on your face but always be on your guard. That is just street smarts.
Of course my lack of trust my come from having spent too much time in New York City. :)
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
“Love always trusts,” just skimming over the passage it seems to be saying no matter what happens we just need to forgive and to forget. Logically there are times we simply cannot trust others. The wife that is in an abusive relationship would not be wise to allow herself to be mistreated. And to bring it closer to home we all have a family member that we have loaned money to time and time again and they never pay us back (you have someone in mind right now). Do we just keep blindly giving them money in the name of love? I think sometimes the person’s track record needs to be taken into account. I agree completely and wholeheartedly that this type of trust is naïve, gullible and would merit the title of sucker.
If we look at the same passage in different translations it will help us. The New Living Translation says that love “never loses faith”. It does not mean that we place ourselves in a position of irresponsibility but we always are willing to believe that people can and will change. The Amplified says “is ever ready to believe the best of every person”. My favorite is the message version, “Trusts God always”. I always trust that God can work with this person no matter what the circumstances or how bad they have treated me. I do not think it means that I naively allow them to misuse me but no matter what happens I trust that God has it all under control.
So I do not think that verse gives us the right to be naive, irresponsible, unfaithful and unwise. I also do not think this passage is telling us to keep letting someone beat us upside the head in the name of good Christian love (although we could always buy a football helmet). I think it is preparing us for the exact opposite. When people misuse you (which will happen often), when people misunderstand you (some people’s spiritual gifting), when people hurt you (knowingly or unknowingly) love always trusts that 1) God will work the things out to your good, 2) no matter how hard it is you can get through it with His help and 3) that in the end God will work His goodness in the lives of all involved.
So is trust earned or given? Trust can be earned and can be given. It is earned when someone time and again proves themselves trustworthy. It can also be regained when it is lost. Trust is also given when we make a decision to believe the best of people despite their conduct in the past. Not putting ourselves in unhealthy situations but trusting God.
I know the comment was long but I guess for this one I did not have the gifting of a short comment.
DaRonn
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
“Love always trusts,” just skimming over the passage it seems to be saying no matter what happens we just need to forgive and to forget. Logically there are times we simply cannot trust others. The wife that is in an abusive relationship would not be wise to allow herself to be mistreated. And to bring it closer to home we all have a family member that we have loaned money to time and time again and they never pay us back (you have someone in mind right now). Do we just keep blindly giving them money in the name of love? I think sometimes the person’s track record needs to be taken into account. I agree completely and wholeheartedly that this type of trust is naïve, gullible and would merit the title of sucker.
If we look at the same passage in different translations it will help us. The New Living Translation says that love “never loses faith”. It does not mean that we place ourselves in a position of irresponsibility but we always are willing to believe that people can and will change. The Amplified says “is ever ready to believe the best of every person”. My favorite is the message version, “Trusts God always”. I always trust that God can work with this person no matter what the circumstances or how bad they have treated me. I do not think it means that I naively allow them to misuse me but no matter what happens I trust that God has it all under control.
So I do not think that verse gives us the right to be naive, irresponsible, unfaithful and unwise. I also do not think this passage is telling us to keep letting someone beat us upside the head in the name of good Christian love (although we could always buy a football helmet). I think it is preparing us for the exact opposite. When people misuse you (which will happen often), when people misunderstand you (some people’s spiritual gifting), when people hurt you (knowingly or unknowingly) love always trusts that 1) God will work the things out to your good, 2) no matter how hard it is you can get through it with His help and 3) that in the end God will work His goodness in the lives of all involved.
So is trust earned or given? Trust can be earned and can be given. It is earned when someone time and again proves themselves trustworthy. It can also be regained when it is lost. Trust is also given when we make a decision to believe the best of people despite their conduct in the past. Not putting ourselves in unhealthy situations but trusting God.
I know the comment was long but I guess for this one I did not have the gifting of a short comment.
DaRonn
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
“Love always trusts,” just skimming over the passage it seems to be saying no matter what happens we just need to forgive and to forget. Logically there are times we simply cannot trust others. The wife that is in an abusive relationship would not be wise to allow herself to be mistreated. And to bring it closer to home we all have a family member that we have loaned money to time and time again and they never pay us back (you have someone in mind right now). Do we just keep blindly giving them money in the name of love? I think sometimes the person’s track record needs to be taken into account. I agree completely and wholeheartedly that this type of trust is naïve, gullible and would merit the title of sucker.
If we look at the same passage in different translations it will help us. The New Living Translation says that love “never loses faith”. It does not mean that we place ourselves in a position of irresponsibility but we always are willing to believe that people can and will change. The Amplified says “is ever ready to believe the best of every person”. My favorite is the message version, “Trusts God always”. I always trust that God can work with this person no matter what the circumstances or how bad they have treated me. I do not think it means that I naively allow them to misuse me but no matter what happens I trust that God has it all under control.
So I do not think that verse gives us the right to be naive, irresponsible, unfaithful and unwise. I also do not think this passage is telling us to keep letting someone beat us upside the head in the name of good Christian love (although we could always buy a football helmet). I think it is preparing us for the exact opposite. When people misuse you (which will happen often), when people misunderstand you (some people’s spiritual gifting), when people hurt you (knowingly or unknowingly) love always trusts that 1) God will work the things out to your good, 2) no matter how hard it is you can get through it with His help and 3) that in the end God will work His goodness in the lives of all involved.
So is trust earned or given? Trust can be earned and can be given. It is earned when someone time and again proves themselves trustworthy. It can also be regained when it is lost. Trust is also given when we make a decision to believe the best of people despite their conduct in the past. Not putting ourselves in unhealthy situations but trusting God.
I know the comment was long but I guess for this one I did not have the gifting of a short comment.
DaRonn
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
“Love always trusts,” just skimming over the passage it seems to be saying no matter what happens we just need to forgive and to forget. Logically there are times we simply cannot trust others. The wife that is in an abusive relationship would not be wise to allow herself to be mistreated. And to bring it closer to home we all have a family member that we have loaned money to time and time again and they never pay us back (you have someone in mind right now). Do we just keep blindly giving them money in the name of love? I think sometimes the person’s track record needs to be taken into account. I agree completely and wholeheartedly that this type of trust is naïve, gullible and would merit the title of sucker.
If we look at the same passage in different translations it will help us. The New Living Translation says that love “never loses faith”. It does not mean that we place ourselves in a position of irresponsibility but we always are willing to believe that people can and will change. The Amplified says “is ever ready to believe the best of every person”. My favorite is the message version, “Trusts God always”. I always trust that God can work with this person no matter what the circumstances or how bad they have treated me. I do not think it means that I naively allow them to misuse me but no matter what happens I trust that God has it all under control.
So I do not think that verse gives us the right to be naive, irresponsible, unfaithful and unwise. I also do not think this passage is telling us to keep letting someone beat us upside the head in the name of good Christian love (although we could always buy a football helmet). I think it is preparing us for the exact opposite. When people misuse you (which will happen often), when people misunderstand you (some people’s spiritual gifting), when people hurt you (knowingly or unknowingly) love always trusts that 1) God will work the things out to your good, 2) no matter how hard it is you can get through it with His help and 3) that in the end God will work His goodness in the lives of all involved.
So is trust earned or given? Trust can be earned and can be given. It is earned when someone time and again proves themselves trustworthy. It can also be regained when it is lost. Trust is also given when we make a decision to believe the best of people despite their conduct in the past. Not putting ourselves in unhealthy situations but trusting God.
I know the comment was long but I guess for this one I did not have the gifting of a short comment.
DaRonn
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
“Love always trusts,” just skimming over the passage it seems to be saying no matter what happens we just need to forgive and to forget. Logically there are times we simply cannot trust others. The wife that is in an abusive relationship would not be wise to allow herself to be mistreated. And to bring it closer to home we all have a family member that we have loaned money to time and time again and they never pay us back (you have someone in mind right now). Do we just keep blindly giving them money in the name of love? I think sometimes the person’s track record needs to be taken into account. I agree completely and wholeheartedly that this type of trust is naïve, gullible and would merit the title of sucker.
If we look at the same passage in different translations it will help us. The New Living Translation says that love “never loses faith”. It does not mean that we place ourselves in a position of irresponsibility but we always are willing to believe that people can and will change. The Amplified says “is ever ready to believe the best of every person”. My favorite is the message version, “Trusts God always”. I always trust that God can work with this person no matter what the circumstances or how bad they have treated me. I do not think it means that I naively allow them to misuse me but no matter what happens I trust that God has it all under control.
So I do not think that verse gives us the right to be naive, irresponsible, unfaithful and unwise. I also do not think this passage is telling us to keep letting someone beat us upside the head in the name of good Christian love (although we could always buy a football helmet). I think it is preparing us for the exact opposite. When people misuse you (which will happen often), when people misunderstand you (some people’s spiritual gifting), when people hurt you (knowingly or unknowingly) love always trusts that 1) God will work the things out to your good, 2) no matter how hard it is you can get through it with His help and 3) that in the end God will work His goodness in the lives of all involved.
So is trust earned or given? Trust can be earned and can be given. It is earned when someone time and again proves themselves trustworthy. It can also be regained when it is lost. Trust is also given when we make a decision to believe the best of people despite their conduct in the past. Not putting ourselves in unhealthy situations but trusting God.
I know the comment was long but I guess for this one I did not have the gifting of a short comment.
DaRonn
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
Okay so my wife asked me to comment on the question so here is my two cents worth.
Co-incidence that this topic is raised the same day i placed 1 Cor 13: 4-7 up on my blog as ‘Creed’? :-)
There is a slight misinterpretation going on here!
Da Ronn gave a number of ‘translations’ for the phrase as written by Alece but no-one has seen the KJV version apparently or have looked at the hebrew or greek of the original for an accurate translation?
I can only go back to the 1612 version which says CHARITY (Love) believeth ALL things. It also says Charity Beareth ALL things, Hopeth All things and Endureth ALL things.
Need trust to be earned?
Afraid of geting hurt or misused? – of being accused of being ‘naive’? learned not to trust because you were hurt in a situation, perhaps many many times, before? then you ain’t Charity (Love) people!
You are all too HUMAN!
( just like me ;-) )
1 Cor 13 is all about what (God’s) LOVE (Charity) is – not about the less than pefect things we humans are much of the time.
Ed – you said it beautifully ( for a non-believer ;-) ) Trust is Faith!
How much do we have and in what?
Love your post. Leesh :-)
love <B
WOW! Such a deep question, and so many thought-provoking comments! I myself do not have any deep insights on this right now. I thought that Angie and several others had some great things to share. I like the idea of trusting, but not checking your brain out. “Wise as serpents,” etc. Referring to NE’s comment WAAAAYYY at the top … I looked up that verse in several different translations and … they all say exactly the same thing. :S But what I hear in that is something along the lines of Matthew 7:6. Casting pearls before swine. I don’t hear “Jesus didn’t trust them,” I hear, “Jesus didn’t entrust them with the riches of Who He was.” In this passage He was speaking with the Jews – not his disciples – right after his passionate ‘turning the tables of the money changers’ in the temple. The people speaking to Him here were the Jews who challenged His authority for doing it. So He answered their question, but in a riddle. Mark 4:11, 12 explains that Jesus spoke in parables so that those who were not of the faith would not be able to understand. Sounds strange, but this was Jesus not “casting his pearls before swine.” So I think that this is what it was talking about. Jesus wasn’t about to entrust to these skeptical, faith-less people the riches of Who He was, and what He was sent to do.
Here’s an interesting passage to mull over, though:
1 Corinthians 4:2
In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
I like Annies Wisdom! – and it reminds me of another comment ( alece’s) above ” do unto others as ye would have them do unto you..”(Golden Rule)
operative word? HAVE! – not as they actually do.
So – would you have others trust you implicitly – gratis? or would you have that they first require you to earn their trust?
Does we require God to earn our Trust? Faith? or do we want to put trust in Him always. If we trust God completely, how then can we not do as he commanded and love our fellowman – totally.
We are not simple – we know there are those on earth who will deceive us and who are untrustworthy – God knows this also.
Trust in Him and Love your fellow man – with Faith, Hope and above all Charity!
Amen.
love <B
(Sorry – should have checked before – Golden Rule was brought up by Angie! – nice reminder, Ang) :-)
love <B
ed, daronn, annie, and bub — thanks for sharing your thoughts. i appreciate your varied input.
and ya know… my brain hurts too…
so wish i coulda been a part of this amazing discussion… alas, my mental energies are being devoted elsewhere (and NOT even on the blogworld – for once!)
:)
Alece:
Think about those disciples for a minute: Peter had said, “I will follow you to death” a few hours before he denied even knowing Christ three times.
And Jesus knew that. He knew that all the disciples would abandon Him in His greatest hour of need. So of course Christ did not trust them their words.
We usually tend to think of not trusting someone as a bad thing. But when it comes to The Gospel, that flaw is a good thing. For how much brighter does God’s grace shine once we have seen our own darkness and want that night removed?
Applesauce:
We were commissioned to spread the Gospel, but look closely at what humanity has done with The Good News:
-It has been twisted into a “prosperity” gospel that claims “God wants you to be rich.”
-It has been manipulated to manufacture consent for wars and crusades and attempted genocides (the Nazis being a recent example).
-It has been stripped of inclusiveness at many churches, with arguments over doctrines dividing congregations and entire denominations–it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that this conversation could easily go in that direction–and there are people who turn a blind eye to those who show up at church wearing filthy clothes with their arms covered in tattoos.
Of courses, everything I have said above is NOT the Gospel–not as Christ intended it–but it is what people have done with it for selfish and evil purposes.
God is God. We have given Him plenty of reasons not to trust us. But that NEVER, EVER means that we cannot trust Him.
So when “Love always trusts”, it is in God’s love that we can trust. It is in The Father’s love that Jesus trusted. Because He is gracious and merciful.
Okay, well, per the thought provoking question I looked up that Greek word translated ‘trust’ right there. The KJV has almost all references of that word in the New Testament translated as ‘believe.’ And all references of ‘believe’ are us -> God. There are a few references to a God -> us trust. These are translated ‘entrust,’ ‘trust,’ and ‘commit.’ ALL of these references God -> us refer to God entrusting us with the knowledge of the gospel.
Luke 16:11
Rom 3:2
1 Cor 9:17
Gal 2:7
1 Thess 2:4
1 Tim 1:11
Titus 1:3
and of course, the John 2:24 reference that was brought up earlier in the thread.
I’m still figuring this out … We trust God with ourselves, He trusts us with Himself? That seems closest to what is being said in these passages. All except the James 2:19 verse where it says that the devils believe that there is one God (same ‘believe’) …. although perhaps this verse is referring to the fact that the demons believe that God exists but are not willing to trust Him. Therefore the ‘faith without works’ (next verse). They believe, but aren’t willing to put the action of their trust to it. Hmmmm…
But the fact remains that God does in fact trust us … not necessarily to make good decisions or say the right things or … any of the things we thing are inherent in trust. It’s actually much deeper and much more precious of a thing: He commits to our keeping the knowledge of Himself found in the Word of God. He shares what is most precious to Him, and He trusts us with it. sigh. That’s a lovely thought.
But that’s as far as I got.
Trust is something I have been considering alot lately….I always thought that I trusted easily and am the encouraging people type….but really I have also been selective with Trust and was requiring some people to earn it…without even realizing that was what I was doing. It think the real question isn’t whether I trust people…but do I trust God with people. When I look at someone and they have a choice to hurt me or love me… (as I do them)…do I trust that they will always love me and not hurt me..no, but I do trust that God will always love me…and so I trust Him with them…it is easier said than done…but I am living proof that once you get the hang of it…it sure does enhance relationships and bring a lot of rest and freedom!!
i tend to give trust farily easily and peoplee tend to loose my trust easily. i am a fairly guarded indidual and it doesn’t take much for me to revoke trust. i defer to Mr. Darcy in that my trust once lost is lost forever. most people son’t get a second chance. that’s probably why i have no friends round here.
I think NE’er and Annie have found the Crux of Alece’s question!
We humans can always trust in Him. he will never fail us, being perfect compassionate and merciful – Loving.
To put our trust in fallible humans is less wise – for that trust will frequently be abused – as human trust in God has been so often in the Bible.
Alece was asking about can we be like unto Love and Trust (believe in) All things? – is it naive to, hard-hearted if we don’t?
I think we can believe ALL things that are of God – if we have sufficinet faith to do so. History shows that it is not an easy thing for humans to sustain, and live by, for life.
Can we (should we) give then our trust to any human thing? (or any human?)
Didn’t Jesus say something about ‘render unto Ceasar the things that are Cesars’?
Trust in God the things of God – trust in Humans the things that are of humans, being human we should know exactly what we can and should not ‘trust’ in others (and in ourselves)!
There is some good (God) in us all !
How are those brains going now, people? :-)
love <B
such rich and deep thoughts. it’s as though my brain stew just got a whole bunch of ingredients added. this needs to simmer a while still…
As is so often the case, people tend to think that not trusting someone is a bad thing. But, as I have mentioned before, God not trusting us is a good thing. Because it is through that His grace gets to shine all the more brightly.
This is not my idea. I actually got it from Oswald Chambers’s “My Utmost For His Highest.”
Humanity has failed far, far too much for God to trust us. And the same is true for Christians. After all, don’t we have to admit that we have done some very bad things to become Christians? Is there one among who has only confessed once?
And yet, accepting that The Creator does not trust His creations only shows us just how much more we need Him. And His grace. His mercy. His forgiveness.
And His Son.
So just because people jacked up the trust that was given them…doesn’t mean that it wasn’t still given to them.
i am guessing randy asked you this question :)
yes he did! did he ask you too?
we had a great time with him when he was out in africa with us a month or so ago…
Alright Alece, I just have to say that I think about this blog any time I am having a hard time trusting anyone, even in God. The first time I read this (last June) I was struggling with this and I have since not forgot about the blog. Thanks, hehe :)
woah.
i JUST reread this yesterday. the guy who’d asked me the question that prompted the blog post made me his FB friend… and it reminded me of this, so i came back to read it.
i love hearing that you did too.
i love you miss crys.