Trust

I wrote an essay back in 2008 .. It was a homework assignment that I handed in and if I remember correctly, got a 100% on it. Honestly, I'm feeling vulnerable these days. I try to be open, honest, and trustworthy to all. I guard my heart just enough. I've been practicing patience, diligence, and strive to keep myself out of temptation and fear. I can count on ONE hand the people I trust 100% w/out any reservation--these are the ones that I can go to NO MATTER WHAT!!! #1 is God. #2 is my parents and family. #3 is my boss. There is a #4--but I won't get into that too much. LOL (*Frankly, I get a little scared when I think of #4. It's a friend that I've grown rather fond of having in my life. I don't feel any pressure to be anyone but myself around this person and never ONCE have felt judgment. No matter what I've said or done: past, present, or future. **ok.. I must stop there. ** Admitting my level of trust for this person is already enough to cause me to have a mini freak out inside.*)

All my other friends, family, neighbors, relationships, friendships, and otherwise acquaintances have what I call: surface trust. That's what I call when you reach out, share good times, and are there to help them when they ask but you know that they're at higher risk for disappointing you. May not be today, tomorrow, next week or next month, but you KNOW that they aren't reliable enough to trust 100%--with all your secrets, feelings, and skeletons, etc.  It may just because they're life is consumed by busyness or conflict or mental / emotional issues or it could be that you just don't know them well enough to share. This doesn't mean that you are a royal monster to them. This just means that you trust them w/ what you can, when you can.

So... here is that essay I spoke of earlier..

My key to trust is my faith & trust in the Truth and His guiding hand to lead me into trustworthy relationships with my fellow mankind.

Proverbs 3:5-6 states "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." It appears that faith and trust go hand in hand. Faith is defined as complete trust. Trust is defined as to place confidence, depend or believe or rely on the truth; Truth being the real state of things. Trust should be a solid reliance on something true. This is why trust is so hard for us, as people. People are, by nature, tempted to lie, cheat, steal, and gossip.

When we place confidence in other people we leave ourselves vulnerable for possible disappointment. This disappointment can lead to fear in trusting others and lack of faith. Fear can keep us from trusting and believing of other things - like God, family, and even ourselves. Placing trust in someone or something should be free of fear or worry. Unfortunately, human nature is to suspect, fear, worry, and be tempted with deception.

This is why is it written for us in Psalms 118:8-9 "It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes." To trust our fellow man we must trust and be faithful that God will lead us and others to be in fellowship and in relationships worthy of trust. Our faith in God and our trusting Him to be in control is how we can be able to trust people even if we fear disappointment.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 - Asking God to help is another key to trust. Prayer and reflection on and for our relationships with others can lighten the burden of worry and fear. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:6-7