When I met Amy (not her real name) she told me with unflinching resolve that she kept very few close friends and did not engage in much ‘useless’ private conversations. I admired her passion for seemingly avoiding gossip.
So I naively and prematurely told her many things including trusting her enough to divulge a confidential matter. I expected that ‘secret’ to remain between us, because I saw her as a good steward of sacred information.
But, I was wrong!
In a matter of days, what I deemed as a ‘valuable secret’ had been shared with her close circle of friends becoming like a Tabloid story among them. Then Amy had the unmitigated gall to inform me that these friends were trusted enough to keep the matter a secret. Within a week, a new set of extended crew of friends became a part of discussing this ‘secret’.
Amazed and disappointed, I realized that I had again violated some vital principles of trust. And this was the initial price I was paying.
This again taught me that,
TRUST IS DELICATE: Like a very delicate crystal, trust should be treated like a valuable asset. We
become vulnerable every time we decide to share any valuable information with another. We take a risk that the one listening will be a good steward. It is therefore important to know something about the ‘skill’ of that person before entrusting them. Their level of ‘skill’ should determine the type of information and the extent to which it will be given.
In other words, don’t give “pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
The other reason is that, people can be fickle!
Even, “Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like”. (John 2:24-25 NLT)
The cautionary note here is to understand the delicate nature of trust.
Further, it is wise to know that,
TRUST YOU GIVE MUST BE EARNED: People that are trusted must earn it. Trust must not be placed in just anyone, anyhow and at every time. Also, before a greater level is attained, there has to be a demonstrable ability to handle and master the previous lower level, and a readiness for advancement.
The way to ensure readiness is testing. Tests will reveal strengths and weaknesses.
In my previous post, I explained why I would not trust any human being completely. This is mainly because we as humans are finite and severely limited. While it is not healthy to be incarcerated in the prison of distrust and chronic cynicism, and I’m certainly not advocating this kind of behavior, trust should be given to different people on different levels. But complete trust must be reserved for only the Infinite, All-Powerful Creator.
And He has cautioned,
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh . . . . . “ (Jeremiah 17:5)
Now I’m confident I know a bit more about handling trust. I have not arrived and hope to learn more as I walk this journey of life.
Have you learned any other principles about trust you would like to share?
A Maze in Gaze 