A trusting heart begins with saying yes to the invitation from the Lord to trust Him with all your heart…”and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3: 5-12). These proverbs are packed with wisdom, for trusting God allows us the joy of putting our life in His faithful hands so that we enjoy health and vitality in all aspects of our life, including our livelihood, avocations, and relationships.
Out of that relationship of trust in God, we become a trustworthy person. Jesus makes it clear that it’s important to be known by others as reliable, dependable, and true to our word. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16: 10-12). Living a life of integrity and trustworthiness is by far one of the best legacies any one could leave behind for future generations. May it be so for you and me as Christ followers today.
Those who trust in the Lord and have grown as a trustworthy friend, also take the risk in trusting others. When we know that all healthy relationships are based on the foundation of trust, we incline our hearts toward others hoping for trusting responses. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Cor. 13: 6,7). If trust is the bedrock of our relationship with God and others, then love is what holds us all together. Let love be your guide in reaching out to another and inviting them into your life. Listen intently to others, encourage one another, pursue health among others, and learn the secret of contentment in all of your earthly relationships. It’s worth the risk!
Eventually, since we don’t live in a bubble, trust between others will be breached. Our expectations may be shattered by a disappointment that ensues between spouses, friends, colleagues, and/or associates. A trusting heart desires more than anything to restore a broken trust. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Col. 3: 12-14). Reaching out with an earnest desire to restore a broken relationship is the evidence of a trusting heart. It takes concerted effort and prayer to bring about restitution, but it’s worth the time it takes to do so.
However, there are times in life when it seems impossible to reconcile, and even for a time it might be best to release those you simply cannot trust. The Apostle Paul wrestled with that as he sought to reconcile who would be most responsive to the gospel. Would it be the Jew or the Gentile, the slave or the freeman? Would all come to a living faith in Jesus, or would there be rejection of the truth even among people of faith? “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 9:33). In real life today, it may not simply be those who reject the gospel, but within the faith community those who reject one another. This happens all too often, so we need to learn how to hold all relationships with open-handed trust and not force the necessary change(s) that lead to full reconciliation.
No matter what may come of our relationships with others, we can indeed depend fully on God and put our trust in the Lord. He cares deeply about all of the circumstances and relationships of our lives. He is there and He concerns himself with all the details of our complex lives. Jesus reminds His followers, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). So may we take seriously our trust in the Lord all the days of our lives…in the good times, hard times, and everything in between. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Will you continue to develop a trusting heart, no matter what may come your way today?
