How To Trust Again: Part 2

Restoring Trust In Broken Relationships

If someone betrays your trust can you ever trust them again? How do we rely upon the character or ability of someone if they have failed us in a big way? What if your spouse has an affair, father leaves your family or a confidant shares a deep, painful secret with the world? How does one recover from such broken trust? How can the offended person ever feel safe again? How can relationships be mended?

As the old saying goes, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!" Many people choose to write off an intimate relationship when there has been a major breech of trust. Those falling into this camp believe it impossible to ever truly trust someone who has failed them miserably. Is this right? Do we have the right to just walk away from relationships in which we have been hurt?

Scripture teaches us love never fails and as such we should always be open to the possibility of a renewed relationship with those who have hurt us. The real question is, on what basis do we renew a relationship with someone who has broken trust with us? Do we just pretend the event(s) didn't happen? Do we hold the offense over the offending party's head for the rest of our relationship with them? How do we move forward in a healthy way?

Over the next couple of days we will look at the "how to's" of restoring broken trust but before we do I want to challenge you to consider something very important. Can you really change yourself? Can you, in your power, in your own ability, ever really make a lasting, significant change in your life? Before you answer in the affirmative, keep in mind that your body, mind and soul are all a gift from God. Apart from God you would not even exist! Can you really claim to change any part of your existence, in your own power, when the reality of your existence is a gift in the first place? Something worth thinking about before we move forward!

James