Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man.
Forgiveness and Trust are two different yet related Concepts.
Forgiveness is about a release from the past, and trust is about investing in the present and the future.
BOTH forgiveness and trust help you move forward in God.
Forgiveness is about releasing people from past debts. We must forgive others in order to be forgiven by the Heavenly Father according to Jesus. It helps us let go of past hurts, and it prevents us from being trapped in the past.
And Trust is an investment into the present and the future. You are never commanded to trust anyone except the Lord. But trusting other people wisely will be needed.
Trusting the Lord is required for LIFE and SALVATION and SECURITY. And trusting individuals will be needed many times. That is what relationships are built on: trust.
If someone violates your personal trust, either willfully or unwittingly, forgive them. Perhaps they are sincerely sorry and they need more chances. That is what mercy is for. The Lord promotes MERCY. The Bible is all about sparing the humble and repentant soul and offering MERCY. That is what you and I should do, because in time, we ourselves will fail, and will need MERCY also! None of us are flawless and we all need forgiveness from time to time. The Lord knows I make mistakes, and I repent and try my best to learn from them and correct such mistakes. We may see those in the SAME position around us getting away with the same failings and being held to a lower standard and yet we are expected to rise up. That is called a "double standard". Such things sadly do exist in marketplaces of different kinds.
When two people in the same job are held to differing standards that is sometimes very disheartening because you are seeing injustice. But forgive and repent for your own failings. Don't worry about the other person, just concern yourself with your own failings and repent and improve! Remember that the Lord will balance all the books in the end. Have a gracious and humble attitude. God promotes humility!
Forgive people as often as needed. Be humble and gracious. Someday you will need forgiveness too.
Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
However, should someone neglect you and take your trust for granted, then that is a time for biblical DISCRETION. You are not required to keep trusting the untrustworthy person. Yes we forgive the PAST failings, but we prevent FUTURE failings by removing the investment of our TRUST in that person.
Proverbs 1:4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion—
Proverbs 2:11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,
Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.
So you are not required to endlessly trust the untrustworthy person. As Prov. 2:11 says, discretion or discernment will preserve you (and your life, your business, your family, your finances etc etc)
If someone breaks your trust, and you learn of it, there are three things to do.
1. Be prepared to Forgive them unconditionally. The Bible makes this very clear in passages like Mark 11:25.
2. Speak with them kindly about the situation with an attitude of mercy and forgiveness.
3. Trust them conditionally. It is based on if they have repented and tried to make things right with you or not. If they show no signs of change or repentance, then the conditions of trust have not been met.
So if the Lord is showing you that such a person is just using you, abusing you, or neglecting you, it may be time to withdraw your trust. Still always love and be kind. But lovingkindness and trust are also two different concepts. Always be courteous as the Bible tells us to be so (1 Peter 3:8). There is never a need for rudeness or meanness or accusations or gossip. Just kindly release the untrustworthy person from your trust. Your trust is a VALUABLE resource, a kind of wealth. The Lord has given you to that wealth to invest it primarily in HIM!
Trusting people is up to your discretion as the Holy Spirit is leading you. Be wise as serpents and harmless and as gentle as doves. Don't judge a matter too quickly. Give it time and prayer always. And always place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Jesus says:
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
God bless,
Pastor Curtis
Mon Feb 19 2018 2:15pm EST
