Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus… But should I try to trust the world? To me trust is the most important characteristic in the people I am close to. If I trust someone, so many qualities come with that. It usually means they are honest, I respect them, and I care about their opinions and ideas. In the past couple weeks I have come to realize how naively trusting I am.
Two weeks ago I was at a New Orleans hotel for work seminar and won $700 cash that I put in my wallet in my purse. We left one meeting room and went to another room for about an hour. Me, being overly trusting of others left my purse in the empty room, thinking that no one would be walking through and I had left it already and it had been fine. Later that night when I was going to dinner I looked in my wallet where I thought my money was. To my frustration it was no where to be found. For an hour I retraced my steps twice, searched through all my things, and asked the hotel personnel if it had been found and returned. To no avail I went to dinner, pretty bummed, thinking I had just misplaced it. After dinner my friend who was sitting at the same table in the meeting room told me that she had had money stolen. Then I realized that someone must have gone through my purse and taken my prize money. I felt violated and cheated, and very stupid for leaving that much cash out of my supervision.
Last week a friend of mine volunteered at a wheelchair tennis tournament where she had $200 stolen from her purse mixed along with all the other volunteer's belongings. When I heard this I thought what type of person steals from volunteers?!
Yesterday I found out that after I left my house at 9:30 someone came in and stole my host family's flat screen tv and Play Station right before she got home at noon. Knowing that someone knew what time to break in when no one was home is very alarming and creepy.
When my money was stolen I tried to remind myself that someone needed the money more than I did, but this is not what I wanted to feel. I wanted to be angry. I struggled hard for weeks with reminding myself where that money could have gone: taxes, my mission trip, a traffic ticket, rent… I wanted people's pity and ultimately for the hotel to call and say they found the employee who stole my hard earned money.
This is not reality though. We live in a broken, hurting world where people are selfish and lost. When the thoughts of losing that money began to overwhelm me, I began to pray that God would teach me through it. I expected Him to teach me a lesson about being more cautious with my belongings, but in actuality He has taught me just the opposite.
Naively trusting others and giving what we don't always want to give is the life God has called us to. His heart desires us to give of ourselves until there is nothing left. He will never call us to give only to people we trust, but to everyone. He has not called us to a life of comfort and understanding.
I know that my money is not mine to begin with and that as long as I am faithful with it, God will provide. I want to live a life where I am taken advantage of and walked all over for the sake of the Kingdom. This is very extreme and a hard life to imagine, but isn't this the life that Jesus lived? Wasn't he walked all over and trampled, being the death of Him? I don't wish for hard times and trials, but if it will further the Kingdom and cause others to see a glimpse of Christ then why not wish for trials and tribulations?
Jesus gave to people who shouldn't be trusted: adulterers, prostitutes, thieves, hypocrites, and people who hated Him. I want to live a life where I give and give and give until there is nothing left to give, to people that I don't necessarily trust.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive."Acts 20:35
"But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God. My times are in Your hand." Psalm 31:14
"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8
