Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, once said, “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
Remove that glue, and things come apart. I was reminded of that when FBI Director Christopher Wray answered questions on Capitol Hill a few days ago. Traditionally, Republicans have been the party of law and order. But here they were, grilling the FBI Director, many of them seeming to believe very little of what the man had to say.
Despite some strong opinions of my own, my point is not to take a side in that fight. But I will say this. Trust is hard won, and easily lost. Trust is won through diligence and integrity. It is won when a person or an institution consistently tells the truth. But the glue of trust weakens with every lie. A bit of it dies with every dishonest deed.
Truth is the common ground that allows us to accomplish things together. If you go to the doctor and you tell him or her the truth, the two of you together can fight whatever problem you face. If you lie, then you’re on your own.
Waning trust not only destroys relationships between individuals, but it destroys the effectiveness of God-ordained human institutions. Even the worst dictators work hard to get their populations to trust them. Government doesn’t work without trust. And if we do not or cannot trust our courts or the judiciary, what do we have left? What are parents to do when they stop trusting their local school systems? What happens when even medical institutions begin to make decisions based on political considerations rather than the health of their patients?
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Jesus called Satan the father of lies. That means by his very nature, Satan sows distrust. As a society follows the father of lies, it becomes less trustful and less trustworthy. People begin to feel increasingly paranoid — as if danger lies in wait around every corner. Anger comes quickly and easily. Fear reigns.
What is the solution? Start by trusting God. That doesn’t mean to trust everything you ever heard anyone say about God. But trust Him. Trust His love. Trust that His ways will always be best, even when you do not understand.
Consider these three scriptures. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie.” Titus 1:2 says, “God… cannot lie.” Hebrews 6:18 says, “It is impossible for God to lie.”
When your society is falling apart or your personal life feels like it’s unraveling, trust God. Follow His instructions. Do what He says. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and He cares about you even more than you care about yourself.
As you trust God, something wonderful will happen inside you. You will become more like your Heavenly Father, the One who cannot lie. You will become more and more trustworthy.
