trust everyone

As a follow up to my earlier post on trust:
Because I know that all people are imperfect and likely to disappoint me, I can trust them.
If I expected them to be perfect and never fail and then trusted them, I would surely be terribly hurt, maybe even devastated, and at that point I would most likely choose to never trust anyone again.
But since I don't place that kind of expectation on them, I can trust them.
Make sense? No?
Well, in trying to think of an allegory, I came up with a very poor one, but it will have to do. It doesn't make sense, but ignore that part.
Say I'm hanging from a cliff and all I have to hold on to is a thin, frail vine. So, I clutch it and rely on it, but the thing is that I happen to know that right under my toes, (they are firmly planted on it) is a huge, immoble boulder.
So, I know that if the vine breaks, I'm not going to be destroyed. I might be jarred a little. Get a little shock. But that's about it. While I was hoping the vine would hold me up, (that's the part that doesn't make sense -- ignore it) I knew that it may not, and I wasn't terribly concerned because my ultimate trust is in the solid, unchanging rock beneath my feet.
Therefore, because I can ultimate trust only One, I can trust everyone.

trust no one

Now, I'm not encouraging you to be cynical or pessimistic; keep that in mind.

But everyone will let you down. Every human being will fail you.

This morning in church something was said that reminded me of a time when someone that we trusted hurt us. And I got to thinking about this.

I know that at one time or another, every person in my life has been let down by me. And I also know that every person in my life has failed me.

Failures, disappointments, betrayals, come in all shapes and sizes. They range from trivial to devastating.

The hubby says he'll take out the trash and you count on that, but he forgets.

Your best friend isn't available emotionally when you need her most.

A lunch date forgets that you had a date.

Maybe you entrusted a friend with a confidence and he shared it with some one else.

A friend stops calling and you can't seem to reconnect and you don't know why.

A pastor lies.

A leader gets caught stealing.

Your spouse cheats.

And for some people, it can be even worse, involving abuse and even murder.

Who can you trust? Well, there is only ONE who can be fully trusted. He will never, ever let us down. We often interpret that He has, but in truth, He cannot. He is as solid as a rock and we can always depend on Him, not matter how circumstances appear.

Now, I want you to know that I am a trusting person. I trust people to be who they seem to be and to do what they say they will do.

We should give people the benefit of the doubt. Trust them, but not without reservation. We need to be trusting and trustworthy people. Humanity and Christianity depend on it. But, keep always in mind that every human being is fatally flawed. We are all broken. Not one person can occupy the place in your life that belongs only to the God who created you.