Trust

Trust is a unusual beast. If trust is mounted, she is your friend. If she is breached, the rider will be thrown much as from a wild mustang.  This mighty steed is "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Being a Christian is trusting in the Lord: confidence in His character, will, power, and truth. Anyone who questions any of these things, fail to trust God. For instance, if God is not the Creator, He's a liar. His character, will, power, and even truthfulness is questioned! Those who fail to trust God are hateful toward Him. How is that? They don't love him enough to trust Him, which is some degree of hatred in that hatred is the lack of love. Those who mistrust God fail to love Him with all their heart, mind, and strength - which is the Greatest Commandment!

We are to love others as ourselves. with that said, we should never trust in men like we trust in Jesus.

Micah 7:5 (NKJV) 5 "Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion..."

Why so? Because all mankind are sinners, and you can be deceived by what they say. On the other hand, we must trust our spouse. Trust in that case, is the beast, and it tamed: 

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life."

This is advice to Lemuel. However, it could as easily been advice to Sarai, Abram's wife. Because Abraham trusted the Lord, Sarah trusted her husband. You see, trust in God transforms a person who trusts into one to be trusted! Incidentally, Abram did not lie to the Egyptians about Sarai being his sister. That was allowed in those days, and she was according to Jubilees.  A good marriage, according to God, is trust! Again - why so?

1 Corinthians 13:4 (NKJV)  ^"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Those who truly love "believes all things" and "rejoices in truth." That, my friends, is trusting. As such, trust is a measurement of love! Conversely, lack of trust is a measure of hatred, remembering that hate is the absence of love. Those who dwell in mistrust, look for justification of their hatred. Like the egg which comes before the chicken, hatred precedes mistrust.

Mistrust creates a kind of prison. Certainly, some belong in that prison, but justice is a fair trial before the one not to be trusted is put in those invisible chains. The reason people mistrust may be that they are aware of their own untrustworthiness. Mistrust of another is the classical example of transference - redirecting one's feelings toward another. People get angry with other people when they harbor anger. People are negative toward others when they are predisposed toward negativity. People hate others when they tend to hate who they are! People fail to trust others when they know they can't be trusted.

Let's say the cop suspects that you are the thief. You look guilty, he thinks that you are, so a short cut is taken. Rather than having your day in court, since he has assumed that you are guilty, you go straight to jail. You may proclaim your innocence, but he has already built the case in his head. You are guilty and the evidence will not change his mind. Even if the real thief stepped forward, some cops would not admit they are wrong! You go to jail even though you're innocent. That is injustice. In scriptural terms justice comes from this:

Luke 6:31 "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."

This flows from loving others as yourself.  The cop above failed to be fair because inside he was inherently loveless. He never allowed justice to proceed. He failed to grant you the same justice that he would have enjoyed himself. As a result, this was a bad cop. He took justice in his own hands. He would have cried hard if this injustice had been against him!

Trust is a key ingredient to friendship. Of course, sometimes friends will do you wrong, but be prepared to forgive them that do! Sometimes, the one who has failed you may become your strongest ally, and the most faithful to you. Not trusting those who fail you is not forgiving, and certainly not loving. Not trusting one who has never failed you is even more unjust.