What are you trusting God to do in your life today? Do you need to address some things in your health, break some old habits and start some new ones? Maybe you have potential for promotion on the horizon at work, or you just need a job. It could be a breakthrough in your relationships—in your marriage, with coworkers, with adult or teenage children.
Are you asking yourself: can I trust myself to do what’s needed to turn things around? Can I trust the other person to do their part in relationship repair? Can I continue to be patient and trust God?
Trust is a major factor, and must be handled intentionally. Remember the formula: Information + Insight + Action = an Intentional Life in Christ. Trust always requires action to move forward. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been on the giving or receiving end of broken trust.
Are you in a fractured relationship because of your betrayal of trust? Your behavior put you in this situation and only your behavior can repair the breach. Trust is earned—it’s a gift that someone chooses to give to you. When you rob someone of their ability to trust you, you have to be realistic. They are unable to immediately trust you again. In order to repair trust:
- Find out what’s really important to them in the area where you’ve been unfaithful.
- Ask them, “What do I need to do to regain your trust?”
- Then faithfully work to retain their trust by proving to be completely trustworthy with your words and behaviors.
If you are the one struggling to deal with the hurt because someone betrayed your trust, it’s vital for you to totally and unreservedly forgive that person. That sounds extremely hard, but it’s not impossible when you follow God’s example. Think about how He forgave you. He knew long before Christ’s death and resurrection that millions of people over thousands of years would refuse Him, and He forgave anyway.
When you forgive:
- Be specific in communicating exactly what you need to forgive.
- Recognize your emotions and let them assist you in clarifying your thoughts, helping you move ahead.
- Don’t become discouraged if it takes some time to let go. Forgiveness is often a daily, ongoing act requiring commitment and persistence.
- Trust God without reservation and ask Him to heal your broken relationships and renew the trust with those who have hurt you.
www.theintentionallife.com. Used by permission.
