Trusting can be so difficult for us.
Our life experiences oppose trust.
The reasons are many. They echo off the walls of pastors and counselors’ offices. They fill the pages of books and journals and they are the subject of conversations over coffee between close friends.
Inside of us there are mixed messages about whether or not we should trust. The messages come from training and teaching about so many people or things we should not risk trusting. They also come from disappointments and betrayals that cause us to question whether anyone or anything is trustworthy.
It is very difficult to feel safe when we cannot trust.
At present, we live in a world where we feel increasingly unsafe. Terror lurks around the corner haunting our steps. Deceit and untruthfulness are common coins of the realm. Failed promises and guarantees leave us filled with doubt.
One of perhaps the hardest things is how often those we have deemed trustworthy turn out to not be. It happens with spouses, parents, bosses, companies, organizations, governmental officials, and even pastors.
As these things, these experiences, stack up, our mistrust grows as does our doubt and uncertainty. Gradually we find it difficult to trust even those we want to trust or those we need to trust.
Even defining what trust is becomes foggy and blurred. 
Trust is defined as the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
As I was reading in Romans 10, I saw Paul shares some significant truth about what gets in the way of trust.
“But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted?” Romans 10:14 The Message
Clearly in the context of this verse, Paul is talking about the importance of hearing the gospel and the value of being sent to preach it. Otherwise the conflicting messages disguised as truth could result in distrust.
The key to the issue of trust begins with listening and more specifically, what we are listening to.
You see, the root word for listen and obey come from the same root word. In Latin, obey would not exist without listen.
Our heart and our thoughts tend to follow what we hear or what we are listening to. Most of us would recognize we hear a lot of “junk food” for the mind, heart, and spirit. Over time, it becomes background noise, “elevator music”, but it seeps into us and can slowly erode the truth that should be guiding us.
How can we learn to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ if what we are listening to is cluttered with static from ingesting things that are like “junk food”?
We can often say that we aren’t really listening and that might be true if we were given a quiz on the content of what we hear. The problem comes from the reality that what we hear is going through that sensory organ into our brain. Our brains can process something threatening in less than a second. Even if we cannot recollect the words or the lyrics or the music exactly, it’s all in there and potentially impacting us.
Is it any wonder that we find trust increasingly difficult?
If I am going to learn perceptive trust that helps me wisely discern what I am listening to, I need to choose a nourishing diet of truth daily that can sustain me when doubt assails me, when my world falls apart, and when I don’t know which way to turn.
It means I need to silence the voices within that have picked up lies and distortions that can play unendingly without action on our part.
We all have a tendency of replaying old tapes and these very tapes can keep us mired down and isolated from healthy relationships with others and also with God.
Listening to truth will then be what influences what I believe and act upon. It will lead me to trust wisely.
According to Adam McHugh, “A Lord who speaks truth to me is good and right; a Lord who listens to me is grace and mystery and glory.”
That is the key to building or rebuilding trust…listening to the One who is Truth.
“It is very difficult to feel safe when we cannot trust.” Perhaps that’s why we have so much fear in our country. 🙁 May we all remember that God IS trustworthy. He is our safe place now and always. Thanks for these reminders, Pam. I need them always!
I think you are right, Lisa! I need those reminders myself. I often write about things the Lord has been sharing with me that is no less true of me than anyone who might read it. (You may experience that at times as well.) Love and blessings!
Trust is definitely a concept I struggle with. Goodness, even recently, my husband and I experienced betrayal in the church we were serving at. Proverbs 3:5-6 has always been a go-to favorite of mine, and I cling to the promise there. Great post. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that. I have been close to others who have experienced similar things. It is heartbreaking when other sisters and brothers in Christ behave in such ways. Praying the Lord will heal your wounded hearts and wrap you in His loving care.
Trust can be so hard for us because of our disappointments with others. God never changes and we can trust that for sure. His word is full of promises for us, we just have to be brave enough to claim them…thank you for your encouraging post it spoke to my heart!
You are so right, Tammy! Thank you for the affirmation and encouragement! Blessings and love to you!!
Trust. What a heavy word. You spoke the truth. We trust what we know. When we let lies and dis-truth enter into our mind and wreck havoc on our soul then our level of trust crashes. When we effortlessly read God’s Word to glean a few nuggets then we are confused. But when we drink deeply the fountain of living water and eat nourishment from the manna for our soul (His Word) then we lean heavy on the arm of Him who is trustworthy in His trustworthiness and faithful in His faithfulness. To know Him is to love Him and to Love Him is to TRUST Him. Blesings! Chris
Yes, it is a heavy word indeed and one we can often stumble with when lies come our way and we ingest them as though they were truth. Sometimes it is the life of someone else who will resonate so clearly of the Lord’s love that we find God’s Word more profitable and connect more deeply. We all are blessed to see Jesus with “skin on” as He shines through the life of someone right here, right now!
Love this! We definitely need a nourishing diet of spiritual truth.
This line really resonated with me: “You see, the root word for listen and obey come from the same root word. In Latin, obey would not exist without listen.”
May I be listening and ready to act in obedience!
Thanks for sharing at The Loft today.
Thanks, Jerralea, you are so right! We all need to attend to the truth we take in and then be quicker to demonstrate we have not only heard, but also listened by the evidence of obedience. Have a blessed day today!
Thank you for this post. It is this trust that I am struggling with now. I took communion this morning, and yet..the tears flow; but this too will pass, for He walks through the valley with me.
I am so grateful the Lord led you to read this today. He has so much grace and mercy for you, loves you so dearly! You might be blessed to go to my website (pamecrement.com) and also read my post from June 22 entitled “The Gift of a Gracious Grace”. I will be praying for you!
Thanks Pastor Pam for the encouraging word! Have a Blessed Beautiful day!
You’re welcome, Tanya! I am always blessed when you stop by here to comment!
I’m bringing my tribe over for this feast, friend … and what a joy to do so!
;-}
Thanks for your consistent love and encouragement!!!
Beautiful and encouraging post. So refreshing to my soul! Thank you for your words, Pam! I’m choosing that nourishing diet of truth today. What a blessing!
So glad the Lord used it as an encouragement! You just encouraged me!!
Such a good word! Recently I felt the LORD said to me to E.A.T. – to Embrace what HE is saying, Act upon HIS Words and Trust. Bless you!
Thanks so much! That is a GREAT word from the Lord!! Blessings on your day!