Knowing who to trust

In scripture, we are commanded to love everyone, not trust everyone. Jesus is our example in this. “Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did…many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because…he knew human nature…what mankind is really like” (vv. 23-25 NLT). These words were not spoken concerning the crowd that followed Jesus but those who claimed to be His disciples. While Jesus gave Himself to them relationally and lived life with them, He knew that they were not perfect. He understood human nature, and He did not trust Himself to them in an unbalanced way. When you place in people the trust that should only be placed in God, you set yourself up for disappointment. We can only go so far in any human relationship; beyond that, we will likely be hurt. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that some people will never hurt us, only to be disappointed when they don’t live up to those standards. There are basically two types of people. The first are users. As long as your interests line up with theirs, they are trustworthy. The second are true friends. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17 NKJV). But because of human weakness, even true friends will let you down. So here are two good rules to live by: (1) When it comes to people, “trust but verify.” (2) When it comes to God, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).