Regarding Trust

What is the first thought that runs through your mind when someone says to you, "Oh, you can trust me."? I don't want to sound cynical or jaded, but such a statement does not engender trust in me toward that person. It brings up a few follow-up questions in my own mind like, "Why do you need to tell me that I can trust you?" Maybe it's my New England upbringing, but a self-claim to being trustworthy raises a few red flags for me. All of this gets me to thinking, though. What does trust look like, and who should we trust, and how much?

Jesus points us in a good direction when he says,

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ¹

The word in Greek for believe is pisteuo (πιστεύω). ² This word conveys a sense of reliance or trust upon something. In many ways, trust is a choice, and we choose to place our trust in a multitude of things: the chair that we're about to sit on, our paycheck, our own moral goodness, people. In this scripture though, Jesus is making a bold imperative: trust in me. He's focusing on the object of our faith, where our ultimate reliance and trust should rest; he's saying, "You can trust me."

Jesus is not saying never trust anyone, even though he above all people could easily have said that. He was betrayed, abandoned, rejected, afflicted, oppressed, scorned, and eventually crucified on a Roman cross by the very ones who had just hailed him as their king. He knew the dark contempt that dwells deep in the fickle hearts of men,

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. ³

We can know what a balanced understanding of trust looks like by considering this scripture. People will let us down. I will let you down. Those we trust are imperfect humans. That's part of the relational collateral damage we all experience. Even those closest to us will at one time or another hurt us. That does not mean that we stop trusting our wife or build up walls against a godly pastor or stop returning calls from a friend; it simply means that when disappointment arrives knocking at our door, when hurt is sitting at the threshold of our sanctuary, we don't let it take us out.

How? We entrust ourselves to God in all situations. ⁴ We trust him, our ultimate hope, to work all things out for our good. Jesus is our hope, not man. And Jesus is our example of how we are to love those that have offended our trust. Maybe you've been let down (we all have). Remember, you've let others down as well and, in some ways even marred your own trustworthiness in their eyes. But God is in the business of reconciliation and is willing to reconcile your current situation.

You are safe with him. Trust him for it and entrust yourself to him. Perhaps this prayer will help,

Lord, sovereign hope of my soul, it is you, not man, not riches, not the promise of a better circumstance, that I hope in and trust in. What a day will bring forth, we do not know; what turn a man may take, we do not know. But we do know that you are good, working through all things and working out all things for our good and your loving purposes.

We wait not on man’s decision, but we look to your hand to provide and dictate and bring to pass. Let our hearts keep integrity in the waiting. Let our mouths be filled with gracious and wise speech in the trial.

In all things let us maintain the true reflection of you.

References

¹ John 14:1

² pisteuo: Strong's Greek: 4100. πιστεύω (pisteuó) -- To believe, to have faith, to trust

³ John 2:24-25

⁴ 1 Peter 2:23: When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.