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I am way too trusting, and I honestly need to have a little more discernment of who to trust or not. Balance is key, too much of anything can be bad, it is good to be trusting but at the same time if we are to trusting well... this is why rape and kidnappings happen.
I would liken it to the scales ppl used in the bible times, to show the exact amount of coins one calculated the exact weight of the amount of coins so that it would be at perfect balance even a penny less would show that the amount of coins was lacking. In the same way it is prosperous to have the right amount of trust and the right amount of distrust because too much of either doesn't end well.
I would liken it to the scales ppl used in the bible times, to show the exact amount of coins one calculated the exact weight of the amount of coins so that it would be at perfect balance even a penny less would show that the amount of coins was lacking. In the same way it is prosperous to have the right amount of trust and the right amount of distrust because too much of either doesn't end well.
That's rare to find these days 
I was very skeptical as a teen and it cost me a lot. But it's never too late to change a few habits
I was very skeptical as a teen and it cost me a lot. But it's never too late to change a few habits
In the Bible, we always see God prescribing a "balanced" and "prudent" approach to things.
Every day, we trust people in different ways, and to different degrees.
We find this quite simple, and quite natural.
Yet if we make "trust" a philosophical issue... suddenly we can no longer understand it!
It really is as silly as it sounds.
Trust is a matter of DEGREES.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy
We do this very naturally, every day.
We have no problem with this until we THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH.
- You trust your car mechanic with your car, but you don't hand him your wallet for safe keeping.
- You trust a teller at the bank with your money, but you DON'T hand them the keys to your house.
- You trust your parents with this thing or that thing, but you probably don't share every secret on your heart.
- A new employee at a company is trusted with some things, but not others.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
Do you realize we are never actually told in scripture to TRUST ANYONE?
Why?
1. Because SOME people, in a fallen world, are clearly untrustworthy.
2. Because ALL people in a fallen world, because of sin, are at least untrustworthy A LITTLE.
So HOW MUCH should we trust people?
1. We trust them to whatever degree they have shown themselves to be trustworthy.
2. This aligns with scripture, where God tells us to PROVE (test) all things.
1Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
(The word "prove" here is sometimes translated "test", and it means "to prove by testing"... kind of like you would do in science.)
3. God wants us to be wise, and intelligent.
A. We aren't to TRUST everyone. (We can't, we live in a fallen world.)
B. We CAN trust people who have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy... and ... to the DEGREE they have proven to be trustworthy.
4. We shouldn't make this complicated... we do this every day.
(You never go to the supermarket, hand the cashier your wallet, and ask him to hold it for you all day.
But you DO hand the cashier some money for groceries, knowing you can TRUST him to give the change back.)
Now, if we want to go against THE BIBLE, and also go against COMMON SENSE, and just trust people for no reason...
we can do that, but we will often pay the price.
So, we already trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
- We don't need to "struggle against" this common sense thing we already do.
- We need to SHARPEN this common sense thing we already do.
A
I think this is a simple issue that causes a lot of confusion.
In the Bible, we always see God prescribing a "balanced" and "prudent" approach to things.
Every day, we trust people in different ways, and to different degrees.
We find this quite simple, and quite natural.
Yet if we make "trust" a philosophical issue... suddenly we can no longer understand it!
It really is as silly as it sounds.
Trust is a matter of DEGREES.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy
We do this very naturally, every day.
We have no problem with this until we THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH.
- You trust your car mechanic with your car, but you don't hand him your wallet for safe keeping.
- You trust a teller at the bank with your money, but you DON'T hand them the keys to your house.
- You trust your parents with this thing or that thing, but you probably don't share every secret on your heart.
- A new employee at a company is trusted with some things, but not others.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
Do you realize we are never actually told in scripture to TRUST ANYONE?
Why?
1. Because SOME people, in a fallen world, are clearly untrustworthy.
2. Because ALL people in a fallen world, because of sin, are at least untrustworthy A LITTLE.
So HOW MUCH should we trust people?
1. We trust them to whatever degree they have shown themselves to be trustworthy.
2. This aligns with scripture, where God tells us to PROVE (test) all things.
1Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
(The word "prove" here is sometimes translated "test", and it means "to prove by testing"... kind of like you would do in science.)
3. God wants us to be wise, and intelligent.
A. We aren't to TRUST everyone. (We can't, we live in a fallen world.)
B. We CAN trust people who have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy... and ... to the DEGREE they have proven to be trustworthy.
4. We shouldn't make this complicated... we do this every day.
(You never go to the supermarket, hand the cashier your wallet, and ask him to hold it for you all day.
But you DO hand the cashier some money for groceries, knowing you can TRUST him to give the change back.)
Now, if we want to go against THE BIBLE, and also go against COMMON SENSE, and just trust people for no reason...
we can do that, but we will often pay the price.
So, we already trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
- We don't need to "struggle against" this common sense thing we already do.
- We need to SHARPEN this common sense thing we already do.
In the Bible, we always see God prescribing a "balanced" and "prudent" approach to things.
Every day, we trust people in different ways, and to different degrees.
We find this quite simple, and quite natural.
Yet if we make "trust" a philosophical issue... suddenly we can no longer understand it!
It really is as silly as it sounds.
Trust is a matter of DEGREES.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy
We do this very naturally, every day.
We have no problem with this until we THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH.
- You trust your car mechanic with your car, but you don't hand him your wallet for safe keeping.
- You trust a teller at the bank with your money, but you DON'T hand them the keys to your house.
- You trust your parents with this thing or that thing, but you probably don't share every secret on your heart.
- A new employee at a company is trusted with some things, but not others.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
Do you realize we are never actually told in scripture to TRUST ANYONE?
Why?
1. Because SOME people, in a fallen world, are clearly untrustworthy.
2. Because ALL people in a fallen world, because of sin, are at least untrustworthy A LITTLE.
So HOW MUCH should we trust people?
1. We trust them to whatever degree they have shown themselves to be trustworthy.
2. This aligns with scripture, where God tells us to PROVE (test) all things.
1Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
(The word "prove" here is sometimes translated "test", and it means "to prove by testing"... kind of like you would do in science.)
3. God wants us to be wise, and intelligent.
A. We aren't to TRUST everyone. (We can't, we live in a fallen world.)
B. We CAN trust people who have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy... and ... to the DEGREE they have proven to be trustworthy.
4. We shouldn't make this complicated... we do this every day.
(You never go to the supermarket, hand the cashier your wallet, and ask him to hold it for you all day.
But you DO hand the cashier some money for groceries, knowing you can TRUST him to give the change back.)
Now, if we want to go against THE BIBLE, and also go against COMMON SENSE, and just trust people for no reason...
we can do that, but we will often pay the price.
So, we already trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
- We don't need to "struggle against" this common sense thing we already do.
- We need to SHARPEN this common sense thing we already do.
Oh this is also the reason, I didn't put 'balance between skepticism and trust' as an option (cause that's perfection
). More like just wanting to see where we're at, right now, rather than what we ought to be. I could have made it clear in my OP.
I honestly don't trust people since I have learned much about human behavior. Even Jesus said he trusted no man.
Everyone is capable of hurting you - maybe without meaning to, but they are looking out for their own interests usually.
What I look for in a person is how evident is their relationship with Christ. Are there fruits of that relationship? So in a way, I"m trusting in Christ's influence upon that person more than the person's ability to be trustworthy.
Everyone is capable of hurting you - maybe without meaning to, but they are looking out for their own interests usually.
What I look for in a person is how evident is their relationship with Christ. Are there fruits of that relationship? So in a way, I"m trusting in Christ's influence upon that person more than the person's ability to be trustworthy.
S
I agree, I dont trust. Ive been burned too many times...every time, it seems. Wish it wasnt so. So many disappointments, heartaches, rejections..., it really hurts and the scars add up over time. Im still forgiving, tho, I always hope to make things right, but I think my lack of trust makes ppl think im cold or uncaring, when in fact the opposite is true. Im just so tired of getting hurt, and often it happens again after learning to trust again. A vicious cycle...if I trust, it gets taken advantage of and I get hurt, ... if im skeptical, im accused of putting ppl off. I just keep asking Jesus to show me how to love. Like the above video says, it dont come easy.*_*
A
I answered this yesterday, but I got to thinking --
I'm a natural optimist, so trust everyone until proven wrong.
BUT I'm also a natural skeptic too. It's got nothing to do with trusting people in my mind. I don't simply buy a concept, simply because I trust a person.
I think this gets in the way of more than one friendship though. I had a friend. We were both loyal, loving and kind to each other, but she had concepts about high blood pressure that I disagreed with. It often felt like she was trying to teach me all things about high blood pressure, which was no problem, because I did my own research on it, since I had it for a little while and hubby still has it.
And then one day we were talking about something that happened in my last trip to the supermarket. (We were looking for no-salt chicken stocks, found out there is no such thing, and even those marked "low-salt" had more salt per serving than a hotdog. So instead of buying chicken stock we bought chicken necks and tails. Hubby would turn those into stock. When we got to the checkout, the guy in front of us saw what we were buying, recognized it as a low-salt thing to do, and gloated that he just bought one of those "low salt" cans of chicken stock. We smiled, but didn't say anything, since we figured he'd have to learn about what low-salt really meant on his own.) Of all stories I've ever told, that one ticked her off enough that she ended the friendship.
So, I am a skeptic and some people do think simply because I disagree with them on something there goes a friendship.
Sorry. I just don't think knowing where I stand on things means if I disagree with some idea you have is the end of a friendship or trust. What kind of friendships are there if no one dares to disagree?
I'm a natural optimist, so trust everyone until proven wrong.
BUT I'm also a natural skeptic too. It's got nothing to do with trusting people in my mind. I don't simply buy a concept, simply because I trust a person.
I think this gets in the way of more than one friendship though. I had a friend. We were both loyal, loving and kind to each other, but she had concepts about high blood pressure that I disagreed with. It often felt like she was trying to teach me all things about high blood pressure, which was no problem, because I did my own research on it, since I had it for a little while and hubby still has it.
And then one day we were talking about something that happened in my last trip to the supermarket. (We were looking for no-salt chicken stocks, found out there is no such thing, and even those marked "low-salt" had more salt per serving than a hotdog. So instead of buying chicken stock we bought chicken necks and tails. Hubby would turn those into stock. When we got to the checkout, the guy in front of us saw what we were buying, recognized it as a low-salt thing to do, and gloated that he just bought one of those "low salt" cans of chicken stock. We smiled, but didn't say anything, since we figured he'd have to learn about what low-salt really meant on his own.) Of all stories I've ever told, that one ticked her off enough that she ended the friendship.
So, I am a skeptic and some people do think simply because I disagree with them on something there goes a friendship.
Sorry. I just don't think knowing where I stand on things means if I disagree with some idea you have is the end of a friendship or trust. What kind of friendships are there if no one dares to disagree?
A
I think this is a simple issue that causes a lot of confusion.
In the Bible, we always see God prescribing a "balanced" and "prudent" approach to things.
Every day, we trust people in different ways, and to different degrees.
We find this quite simple, and quite natural.
Yet if we make "trust" a philosophical issue... suddenly we can no longer understand it!
It really is as silly as it sounds.
Trust is a matter of DEGREES.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy
We do this very naturally, every day.
We have no problem with this until we THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH.
- You trust your car mechanic with your car, but you don't hand him your wallet for safe keeping.
- You trust a teller at the bank with your money, but you DON'T hand them the keys to your house.
- You trust your parents with this thing or that thing, but you probably don't share every secret on your heart.
- A new employee at a company is trusted with some things, but not others.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
Do you realize we are never actually told in scripture to TRUST ANYONE?
Why?
1. Because SOME people, in a fallen world, are clearly untrustworthy.
2. Because ALL people in a fallen world, because of sin, are at least untrustworthy A LITTLE.
So HOW MUCH should we trust people?
1. We trust them to whatever degree they have shown themselves to be trustworthy.
2. This aligns with scripture, where God tells us to PROVE (test) all things.
1Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
(The word "prove" here is sometimes translated "test", and it means "to prove by testing"... kind of like you would do in science.)
3. God wants us to be wise, and intelligent.
A. We aren't to TRUST everyone. (We can't, we live in a fallen world.)
B. We CAN trust people who have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy... and ... to the DEGREE they have proven to be trustworthy.
4. We shouldn't make this complicated... we do this every day.
(You never go to the supermarket, hand the cashier your wallet, and ask him to hold it for you all day.
But you DO hand the cashier some money for groceries, knowing you can TRUST him to give the change back.)
Now, if we want to go against THE BIBLE, and also go against COMMON SENSE, and just trust people for no reason...
we can do that, but we will often pay the price.
So, we already trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
- We don't need to "struggle against" this common sense thing we already do.
- We need to SHARPEN this common sense thing we already do.
In the Bible, we always see God prescribing a "balanced" and "prudent" approach to things.
Every day, we trust people in different ways, and to different degrees.
We find this quite simple, and quite natural.
Yet if we make "trust" a philosophical issue... suddenly we can no longer understand it!
It really is as silly as it sounds.
Trust is a matter of DEGREES.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy
We do this very naturally, every day.
We have no problem with this until we THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH.
- You trust your car mechanic with your car, but you don't hand him your wallet for safe keeping.
- You trust a teller at the bank with your money, but you DON'T hand them the keys to your house.
- You trust your parents with this thing or that thing, but you probably don't share every secret on your heart.
- A new employee at a company is trusted with some things, but not others.
We trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
Do you realize we are never actually told in scripture to TRUST ANYONE?
Why?
1. Because SOME people, in a fallen world, are clearly untrustworthy.
2. Because ALL people in a fallen world, because of sin, are at least untrustworthy A LITTLE.
So HOW MUCH should we trust people?
1. We trust them to whatever degree they have shown themselves to be trustworthy.
2. This aligns with scripture, where God tells us to PROVE (test) all things.
1Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
(The word "prove" here is sometimes translated "test", and it means "to prove by testing"... kind of like you would do in science.)
3. God wants us to be wise, and intelligent.
A. We aren't to TRUST everyone. (We can't, we live in a fallen world.)
B. We CAN trust people who have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy... and ... to the DEGREE they have proven to be trustworthy.
4. We shouldn't make this complicated... we do this every day.
(You never go to the supermarket, hand the cashier your wallet, and ask him to hold it for you all day.
But you DO hand the cashier some money for groceries, knowing you can TRUST him to give the change back.)
Now, if we want to go against THE BIBLE, and also go against COMMON SENSE, and just trust people for no reason...
we can do that, but we will often pay the price.
So, we already trust people to different degrees... according to how they have PROVEN themselves to be trustworthy.
- We don't need to "struggle against" this common sense thing we already do.
- We need to SHARPEN this common sense thing we already do.