Earned Trust

I was once given a plaque that stated, “In God we trust, all others pay cash.” In recent years, we have certainly been given enough reasons to question the trustworthiness of the people around us; people being cheated out of their life savings by an unscrupulous financial adviser, government officials not paying their income taxes, or uncovering the unethical, immoral and/or illegal actions of ministers. Do you ever feel like Diogenes the Cynic, wondering if you will ever find an honest person?

I often find myself questioning the motives of others. When the Ft. Worth ISD came out with their decision to close their schools in prevention of the Swine Flu, I immediately questioned their wisdom. When I hear the result of a court case I have been following, I wonder how a right-thinking jury of my peers could have possibly come to such a ridiculous conclusion. When I watch a person who has been cornered by a reporter and asked to justify a decision they made, I usually jump to the conclusion that they are either an idiot or a crook. Yet, when I stop and reflect, I realize I wasn’t in the meetings of the FWISD when they made their decision or in the courtroom to hear the testimony or the judge’s restrictions on the jury’s deliberations nor was I in the head of the person who was making a difficult decision. I am reminded of the child who asked his mother why all the idiots came out when she was driving. The truth is most people are not sitting around the room trying to make a bad decision. They are struggling with facts and parameters we have the luxury of not having to pay attention to in our questioning of their decision. How smart we can be when we question others from a comfortable distance.

I have learned a few things as I have scrutinized my uninformed questioning of the decisions of others. First, it is better to respond first in empathy rather than suspicion. Put yourself in the shoes of the person on the hot seat, and then ask yourself how it would feel to be put in the position of being responsible for making that decision. Also, ask yourself if you have the information needed to question the decision made. If not, then either get the information or, if you have no reason to disbelieve this person or group, give them the benefit of the doubt. You should never seek to build yourself up by tearing another down. Secondly, remember trust is the basis of all good relationships. Trust is earned and, once it is lost, it is difficult to regain. Commit yourself to being a person who can be trusted and find ways to show its benefits. The more we build trust with those around us, the more we create a good society and the further we grow the kingdom of God.

There are times people question the work of this church, a decision we have made or the way we have chosen to spend money. I can tell you, there is no place I trust more than this church, the leaders in it or the staff of it. The decisions that are made here are always made in the spirit of Christ. We are not perfect, but we never sit around the room wondering how we can make a bad or frivolous decision. I can promise you, every decision made here is made in prayer, seeking the guidance of God. You can trust this church, for it is in God we trust.