What is Trust Really?
AUTHOR: Aaron Williams
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about trust and gullibility. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure why I’ve been thinking so much about this. Though, I think trust and gullibility are actually very, very similar. Let’s break down what it means to be gullible, it means that you are easily trusting, that you are quick to trust those around you, that you are quick to believe that they are being honest with you.
The world views being gullible as a flaw, but I’m not certain that it actually is. Instead, I think being gullible looks a lot like Jesus. It is quick to believe that people are being truthful with you. It is quick to believe that people are being honest with you. It seems to resonate a great deal with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 concerning love, ‘love believes all things.’ I don’t take that to mean love is naïve or stupid. I take that to mean that love believes the best about all people, at all times, until you are given enough reason not to. That love, in some sense, is gullible. Love is inherently trusting.
Really, that’s all being gullible is. It’s being inherently trusting. It’s trusting that people are telling you the truth. It’s believing the best about people, it’s trusting that they have a good name, a good reputation, until you are given enough reason not to. Now, what ‘enough reason not to’ looks like, I don’t know, I think it varies by context. I think that’s something we each must decide uniquely in our relationships. But my main purpose in writing this is this: What if, instead of us adopting the world’s view of gullible, of being quick and easy to trust, we instead operated as if that was the default, what if Christians were the most trusting people. That seems to be the behavior Jesus requires when He says if we are sued for our coat, give the shirt as well. If we are dragged one mile, go two. If we are struck on the left cheek, give them the right also. In other words, let them take advantage of you, or let them know you as gullible and trusting.
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about trust and gullibility. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure why I’ve been thinking so much about this. Though, I think trust and gullibility are actually very, very similar. Let’s break down what it means to be gullible, it means that you are easily trusting, that you are quick to trust those around you, that you are quick to believe that they are being honest with you.
The world views being gullible as a flaw, but I’m not certain that it actually is. Instead, I think being gullible looks a lot like Jesus. It is quick to believe that people are being truthful with you. It is quick to believe that people are being honest with you. It seems to resonate a great deal with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 concerning love, ‘love believes all things.’ I don’t take that to mean love is naïve or stupid. I take that to mean that love believes the best about all people, at all times, until you are given enough reason not to. That love, in some sense, is gullible. Love is inherently trusting.
Really, that’s all being gullible is. It’s being inherently trusting. It’s trusting that people are telling you the truth. It’s believing the best about people, it’s trusting that they have a good name, a good reputation, until you are given enough reason not to. Now, what ‘enough reason not to’ looks like, I don’t know, I think it varies by context. I think that’s something we each must decide uniquely in our relationships. But my main purpose in writing this is this: What if, instead of us adopting the world’s view of gullible, of being quick and easy to trust, we instead operated as if that was the default, what if Christians were the most trusting people. That seems to be the behavior Jesus requires when He says if we are sued for our coat, give the shirt as well. If we are dragged one mile, go two. If we are struck on the left cheek, give them the right also. In other words, let them take advantage of you, or let them know you as gullible and trusting.
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