'Who Can Be Trusted?'
I Was Thinking…
There is much in the air these days about trust and it’s lacking in our world. Who can be trusted? Politicians? Sales personnel? Leaders? Clergy? Spouses? Who can be trusted?
It seems we have become a more skeptical society. We have been burned by those once trusted and now we are simply not certain who to trust. Politicians seem to only want to grease their own re-elections. Sales personnel seem to only want to make as much money off us as possible. Leaders of all shapes and sizes seem to have hidden agendas. Clergy from all paradigms of faith have been found to be abusers and users. Spouses have been known to betray the marriage covenant. Who can be trusted?
I have a saying that goes “People ain’t stupid”. There is something in most people’s intuition that picks up on insincerity quickly. We don’t like what our intuition tells us and thus we are hesitant to trust even it.
However, there is another side of all this that concerns me. When we have been lied to, betrayed, used and maybe even abused, we can develop a hardened shell that keeps us from ever trusting again. That is a sad place in which to reside. I understand that tendency but throwing all of life into the bucket of betrayal robs us of the joy of life.
Recently in the baseball world, even the 2017 Baseball World Series Champions, Houston Astros, were found to be cheating in order to gain an advantage so they could become champions. This has created quite a firestorm in the baseball world. And yet, most of baseball remains within the bounds of fairness for all teams and players.
So is the case for most of life. While there are many who prove they cannot be trusted…most can. While some politicians are thinking only of themselves, most become politicians because they care deeply for their community and world. While some sales personnel are shysters, most are simply trying to find a balance between profit and sales. While some leaders do have hidden agendas, most simply want to lead in healthy ways. While there are some clergy who follow a wayward path, most clergy do seek diligently to follow faithfully their call. While some spouses stray and betray, most remain loyal to their beloved and the sacred covenant of marriage.
Let’s not become cynical as we walk life’s path. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But God is gracious and kind, full of compassion and forgiveness. May those of us who are God’s children live likewise.
Call me naïve, if you like, but I choose to believe the best in people, in hopes that is the case. If not, then I’ll try not to allow that one or two persons to color everyone else in a cynical and skeptical color.
Always Thinking…
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