Trust

Trust
By Patricia Ang

Trust. What is TRUST to us today? How much is TRUST worth in today’s society? We live in a world that is filled with suspicion, conspiracy, betrayal, deceit and dishonor. As a result of some of these actions that we encounter, this leads to a lack of trust of one another. So, why TRUST?

Amidst all the trials and tribulations, are we willing to trust in God entirely, are we willing to surrender every apsect of our lives to Him? Have you been asking God what is He going to do for you? Believe in God as you know Him to be when you are nearest or even far away from Him. This is a test of your trust in Him. Let your attitude of your life to be a continued willingness to be dependent upon Him and your life will have a sacred and an inexpressible charm that will be pleasing to God.

Trust is the link that brings us into a relationship-any relationship. Without trust we are lost in our own world. Hence how does one develop trust? Here are some of the ways:

Have Faith
We will find it easier to trust ourselves and others if we first trust God. God is always there standing by us through thick and thin. His love for us is secure. This allows us to relax and trust in Him. It is stated in the scriptures that God will open the door if we knock on it (Matthew 7:8) and in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-6) Jesus makes it clear that the love of God extends especially to the weak.

Be Honest
Try opening up and talk honestly about ourselves, our problems, our needs, though at times it may feel uncomfortable to do so. However when we take that risk, the people around us will also tend to be more open and honest with us and that is how trust begins to build up in relationships.

Be Generous
We encourage people to behave in a trustworthy fashion by trusting them, giving them a benefit of doubt. We try to resist the temptation of adopting a judgmental attitude to others. Be a service to others, be it sharing our time, our gifts or just being a listening ear for others.

Practice Acceptance
Recognizing that someone can’t be trusted in certain ways doesn’t mean that the entire relationship should be discarded. We need to acknowledge that fact that this only so far some people are able to go. We then have to work on forgiving and accepting the person for who he/she is and also praying for their wellbeing.

Be Reliable
Trust is doing what we say we will do, whether of not it is convenient. This means honoring our commitments, whether big or small. This means calling when we say we will, showing up for appointments on time, keeping our word to our family and friends.

Be a Steward of Relationships
Trustworthy people are those who can successfully nurture and preserve relationships with others. This takes commitment and effort. The most important assets that we have are relationships and we shouldn’t be quick to comprise them or place other things above them. It is easy to place our careers above our relationships. However being a steward of relationships means taking the time to catch up with our friends periodically, helping to do the housework at home to lighten the load on our family members and being there for our children at their school events.

Trust to get trust.
In Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Laws and the Prophets.” In short if we begin to treat other people as we like to be treated, more often than not, this will be mirrored back to us.

In stressful, confusing situations, we might ask a worried “What now?” Yet if we look to the Lord and trust in his care, our fear will be replaced with peace. Just as God determines the weather, He also controls the cycles in our lives. “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Eccl 3:11). Do we resist these seasons and complain about the conditions or do we trust God and thank Him for whatever he has planned for us?