Love Always Trusts

Everybody starts out in life trusting. It is not an option even, everyone is bigger and older, and a child believes that their parents know everything.

We have all experienced the confidence and peace that an environment of trust creates.

But then as we get bigger, bit by bit we start to get progressively cynical, & suspicious, and not least because we absorb it from the culture around us.

We live in a culture that is often one of distrust: CRB checks for everything, passwords, security on the door, ID to enter university, at every step a long the way we have to be checked….

How much do you trust your church? What would you trust it with?

What have been your expectations of people and what was your actual experience of them?

When there is a gap between your expectations and your experience what do you put in the middle?

Do you believe the best, or the worst?

St Paul teaches us about the love that Jesus modelled in his life; a “love that does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1Cor.13:6-7

Here are 5 commitments to trust that we considered for our community during our message yesterday:

5 Essential Commitments of Trust

1. I will believe the best.

2. When other people assume the worst about you, I will come to your defense.

3. If what I experience begins to erode my trust, I will come directly to you to talk about it.

4. When I am convinced I will not be able to deliver on a promise, I will come to you ahead of time.

5. When you confront me about the gaps I’ve created, I will tell you the truth.

For your community how important is it that you can lift each other’s spirit through expressing your trust for one another? When you are able to convey to the person sitting next to you that you trust them with all your heart you actually help them to open their heart, which in turn helps God and allows His spirit to touch them.

Do you struggle to trust others around you?

Most business executives would give their right arm to be able to improve the degree of trust in their organization, but it’s something one cannot just buy. Trust is a virtue that we have to embody through our actions.

When you consider the foundation of any relationship in your life don’t you find trust is the corner stone?

What would be the benefit of people being able to trust you more? How would you benefit from thinking the best of others, trusting those around you more?

Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31)

(Trust others as you would like to be trusted.)