Should you give blind trust to everyone? You want to trust the people in your life. You want to be able to count on them to tell the truth, do what they are supposed to do, and do what they say they will do. When you are trustworthy, you naturally assume others are too. Trust simply means to rely on someone’s or something’s integrity, strength, ability, surety, and truthfulness.

A woman recently discovered that her husband had an affair. At the same time, he was fired from his family job for misusing funds and lying about what he did when it was disclosed. These discoveries were shocking to her. She trusted her husband to be faithful and responsible. She trusted him to be a person of integrity. She now has to face the fact that her husband isn’t trustworthy.

When someone has been untrustworthy, you need to protect yourself. Initially, this may mean you need to seek healthy support while cutting all ties to this person. If you do choose to continue the relationship, you will have to decide how to move forward while setting boundaries that protect you from being hurt, betrayed, manipulated, and abused. These boundaries must stay in place until this person proves they have changed and can be trusted.

But there is often a glitch: untrustworthy people will attempt to pressure you into trusting them before they have proven themselves. This may include manipulative and threatening behaviors. You have to recognize this tactic as proof that this person isn’t willing to change. Rather than giving in to the pressure and blindly trusting, you need to hold your ground and refuse to trust.

Trust has to be earned. You should not trust people who have a track record of being untrustworthy. You have the right to take care of yourself when someone has violated your trust. And you have the right to offer trust only to people with a track record of being trustworthy. Over time, require untrustworthy people to show that their actions have changed before you offer them the precious gift of trust again. Your trust should not be blind; it should be proven.

By Karla Downing

Relationship Devotional Prayer

 
God,

Give me wisdom to know when to trust people and when to withhold my trust and protect myself. Help me to recognize that untrustworthy people should not be trusted unless they have a track record that shows they have changed.

Relationship Devotional Challenge

• Offer your gift of trust only to those who deserve it because they have been trustworthy.

Scripture Meditation

 
1 Corinthians 4:2

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”