October 24 | Overcoming Lack of Trust

Series | The Overcoming Life

Scripture | 1 Corinthians 13:6-7, “6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Lesson 24 | Lack of Trust, “I Don’t Trust You”

Many of us can relate to being hurt and disappointed in life because the people we trusted let us down.  Often times I as a pastor suffer the reproach of what past leaders did to people and thus I have to work extra hard at showing myself trust worthy.  Other times when I’ve counseled couples through their past hurts the hardest thing for them to restore and get back is their trust for each other.

It's a fact of life that people will let us down- and even some people will break our hearts because we trusted them so much.  However, God does not want us to go through life with a bitter heart towards people.  We shouldn’t allow the mistakes of others to effect our new relationships and we must be willing to forgive those who truly repent and desire to still be in our lives, Matthew 18:21-22.

On the other hand, this doesn't mean that we should become people’s doormats by allowing them to hurt us in the same ways.  There are two sides to the coin of trust.  The first side is to be forgiving and willing to trust people.  And the other side of the coin is to find the right people to trust in the right places in our lives.

I would never marry a woman that I couldn’t trust.  However, when my wife lets me down and truly repents I need to forgive her and not hold it against her.  At the same time, if she stopped loving me and continually cheated on me it would be okay for me to divorce her and not have her in that place in my life anymore, Matthew 19:9. 

The same is true on the job.  You may have an employee that messes up sometimes but they apologize and do his or her best to do better.  However, if they steal or keep breaking their word its good to fire them so they will learn a lesson and hopefully do better on their next job.

Therefore, we should learn how to forgive those who let us down and know when the right time is to give someone the gift of good-bye, 1 Corinthians 15:33.  In both situations, we should still love everyone and be willing to trust the good people in our lives.  In other words, don’t let what others have done make you give up on finding trust worthy people in life.  They’re out there- you just need to be patient and find them. 

Do you struggle with trusting people?  If so, pray this out loud, “Father, I ask you to forgive me for not loving people like you do.  Help me to trust the right people in the right places in my life.  Amen.”   

Reflection | Is it hard for you to trust people? Why?

Action | (1) Repent if you have allowed past hurt to scar your heart and make you bitter.  (2) Ask the Holy Spirit to give you trust for others and heal your heart.  (3) Lastly, be led of the Holy Spirit to trust people in the right way and in the right places of your life. 

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Jeremiah 44:24-47:7, 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalm 94:1-23, & Proverbs 26:6-8. Click here to read online.