To trust means to put our confidence in someone or something because we believe that who or what we’ve chosen to trust will be reliable. We might place our trust in a philosophy we’ve spent time studying, or a way of living that we believe works well, or in a person we think is for us and not against us. 

But what if our philosophy, ideal way of living or the person we thought was trustworthy proved to be imperfect instead? What if the system, formula, or individual we’d trusted wreaked havoc in our lives instead of benefiting our lives? Would we be willing to ever trust again?

    Faulty Beliefs

Most likely, we’ve all experienced a faulty relationship, fallen for an imperfect philosophy, or relied on a defective formula for living. When we wake up and realize who or what we’d trusted is in fact not trustworthy, we are in danger of over reacting and heading down another path of faulty thinking. 

For instance, when my father ended his life, I not only grieved his loss, but I was also ashamed of myself for being duped into believing that he’d really loved and cared about me. I was also ashamed that I’d not been smart enough to see his future demise. 

Left to my own devices, I formulated a different philosophy for my life. Instead of trusting in others, I’d rely solely on myself. I never wanted to be deceived again into thinking that anyone was trustworthy.  

Then, I had an experience that altered my life for the rest of my life. Close to ending my own life, just as my Dad had, God made me an offer I could not refuse; a choice to live.

But after making that choice to live I also chose to discover how to think and act differently. I purchased a Bible that was written in a way that I could understand it, The Living Bible Paraphrased and began reading it. 

I discovered that trust is a common theme in the Bible and that by choosing to live instead of choosing to die I’d also chosen to get to know God in a personal way. God is all about relationships, much like my dad had been with me. And though I’d once trusted my dad and was left to survive on my own, God often times reminds me, by way of the Bible, that unlike my father, he is completely trustworthy. 

When Dad took his own life, I headed down a faulty pathway, one of distrust. But, along the way, I bumped into God who showed me a new way.  

Why bother considering trusting again? Though we’ve all felt the searing pain of grief, sorrow and disappointment there is One who will never disappoint and waits for us to trust again.