Trust

As part of our ‘professional development’, management has ordered key personnel to read and reflect upon selected books. The latest offering has been a rather flaccid, repetitive read entitled ‘The Power of Ren’. Dozed through the first six chapters and wondered why we were made to spend our time so unproductively.

But this morning, fresh from a weekend of encounters that has left my heart frail and aching, I came across this passage, entitled ‘Relinquishing Control’ - ‘Trust isn’t a concept; it is an experience. A concept can be defined in many ways, but experience is direct, and difficult to deceive ourselves about. Certain situations and people may make us feel uncomfortable, and when we are uncomfortable our experience tells us not to trust them. On the other hand, when we feel comfortable, our experience is telling us to trust. Trust is similar to responsibility and giving – offering it doesn’t necessarily get us anything in return. This is something we often fail to realize, and we fall into the trap of making our trust conditional. ‘If you do this,” we say ,”then we’ll trust you.” Or we say, “I trust you, so you have to do this,” or perhaps, ”If you don’t do this, you don’t trust me.” This is a form of passivity, when in fact, trust is about choice. We determine trust. Only we determine whether or not we will trust, and on what basis we choose to do so. Only once we understand this, do we have freedom of choice and are no longer simply being reactive.’

O wow. Another gentle wave of grace, washing my soul, healing my heart, stilling my overactive mind.

We determine trust. I determine trust.

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.’ Proverbs 3:5-6

Love always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

5 March