I recently was talking with a friend who has gone through a lot over the past 10 years, much of it a result of his own actions, but he also feels a victim and not in control of many things in his life. He has been homeless for several years, has not seen his wife or kids in years and is estranged from his parents and family. I’ve tried to help him on and off over the years, but that did not seem to help much either. Honestly, the only thing of substance he seems to have left is his faith. I pray with him at times when he is struggling, which is second nature for us, as we have done this over the past 25 years of knowing him. He recently told me he just needs to talk to someone he can trust, as he is suspicious of others (and likely me) for different reasons. The couple of times he lived in town, I would meet with him fairly regularly, but not we pray by phone, as he is over 700 miles away now. I would like to tell him there are people that are trustworthy, but I also know that everyone lets you down at one time or another, so I don’t make any promises. Who do you trust?
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
When you look over all those who have been in and out of your life, hopefully there are people, including family, that you have learned to trust and others that you likely keep at arms length. In general, growing up in Iowa, I feel that I am initially fairly trusting of others, until they prove that they are untrustworthy. Maybe there is something to the Iowa Nice thing. But as we grow older, and see more of people, we may grow more cynical and even become more guarded in who we trust initially. When my 9 year old son shares a half truth because he thinks he may get in trouble for something, I tend to question his truthfulness more often, but also question how I am acting when I question him or know he is lying about something. How can I encourage honesty more in others, and in myself? Am I a trustworthy person? When trust is broken, is forgiveness a part of the reconciliation?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
If we are distrustful of others, how much do we really trust God? We may give lipservice and say we trust God for all things, but how much is that a practical part of our lives? How much do you confess and divulge to Him in prayer regularly? What is a good measure of how much we truly trust God? Is it asking Him for things we know will likely come about anyway…”keep us safe as we travel”, etc? Or is it when all other avenues and options have been explored and we have not one else to turn to for help, and we cry out to Him in desperation? Maybe an odd mix of all those things. I know I’ve let God, others, and myself down by what I do or don’t do at times, but I also believe in forgiveness and have to practice that on a daily basis to move forward, otherwise we lock ourselves into our own prison of regret and unforgiveness, which is a dangerous place to be. We can blame God and others for the troubles in our lives, but we can also forgive and set ourselves free to move forward and trust again, regardless of where we have been. When we put our trust in Christ, we learn to forgive as He forgave us, and open each day to new possibilities. Let us hope in that!
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22
Yours in Christ,
Clark
