Hello Friends,

A few weeks ago I commented about having faith in  people.  This is a hard topic for me, because I want to trust others; I want to believe that my fellow Christians are looking out for me.  However, this is not always the case, and I feel betrayed.  We are human and society ingrains in us to look out for number one, ourselves.  So how do we follow Proverbs 4:23a and "Watch over [our] heart with all diligence" and at the same time trust someone enough to share our burdens so that we can "carry each other's burdens" (Galatians 6:2a)?  Again, I struggle, my recent experience reminded me of my past experiences of being too trusting of someone who wears the label "Christian."   One thought I've had is emphasizing the difference between "faith" and "trust."  Hebrews 11:1 says that "Faith is the certainty of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Trust, is more tangible.  The Bible tells us in Matthew chapter 7 that we can see people's fruits, and that "every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."  In Galatians 5:22-23a it says the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control."  What I learn from this, is that we can watch peoples actions and see if they produce the kind of fruit that demonstrates they are trustworthy.  While this isn't a flawless method (people do change), it helps us discern who people really are on the inside.  Afterall, how people behave and treat others reflect who they are inside.   

So now that we established the difference between faith and trust, we need to remember our FAITH is in Christ ALONE.  We should also TRUST Jesus, as we see His perfect example (His Good Fruits).  When it comes to trusting humans we need to be careful.  We need to look at their fruits.  As humans, we are not perfect, it is impossible to never do wrong.  God wants us to trust one another.  There are several verses in His Word where we are told to encourage each other, uplift each other, carry one another's burdens.  God knows life is not easy, He's been here.  He knows we are going to need each other.  We just need to look at each others fruits, so that we can use discernment when we trust each other, to watch over our hearts.

I'll close with this final thought, Ephesians 4:1-2 says "Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love."   While we use discernment to decide who may be trustworthy, we must remember that we are all human.  We need to be sure to show gentleness, and patience with each other and do so lovingly.  While we cannot find a perfect friend, we need to remember that we are not perfect either, we need to make sure we  keep our own fruit healthy so we too can be a good fruited friend to others.

I am a follower of Christ, I am not perfect, but I love Jesus.

Until Next Time,

Liz Allen