Trust

Is trust earned or is it freely given?

Babies start off with 100% trust. They have no choice. But very soon after being born that innocent baby learns the sacred relationship based on trust is very fragile indeed.

Is it any wonder that people have such a difficult time trusting within our world of taking and using one another? Without trust there really isn’t much of a relationship. It’s more of a truce during wartime. Two people agree to be together because it’s better than being alone. Others go to church because it’s good to hedge their bets. When tragedy strikes sure enough it’s God’s fault. Why bother anyway?

I recently experienced a small lesson involving trust. I asked a number of people close to me to do something in a simple business that I said would do them no harm, take none of their time, with the potential of doing fabulous with it and the worst that would happen was they would have some free stuff with no obligation whatsoever.

I know, I know what’s the catch?

The reactions were interesting. Some knew me very well and knew that I had never purposely or knowingly done damage to them. I didn’t push it so far as to say, if you say no, you don't trust me. I simply didn’t want to be hurt with no, as an answer. And sure enough I got the no.

Others said I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about but I trust you. They took the leap although it really wasn’t a leap for them because they trusted me.

And here’s the deal. When I prove that what I was saying is true and they get into business with me, they still might not really trust me. It might simply mean that they trusted the proof and not the relationship.

It’s interesting to me that God showed His love for us that while we hated Him, He trusted us with His sacrifice. Some love that idea. Some can’t comprehend it. Some are still working to get what has been freely given.

Some think that if God really miraculously intervened that they would put their trust or have faith in Him. That’s possible but it’s also possible that they simply have put their faith in the proof and not on the creator Himself.

It’s not so easy to become a little child again. We’ve learned our lessons about broken trust a little too well.