We come into the world as children with an automatic dependency on our caretakers, whom we call our parents or loved ones. We expect that we can trust them because they built a foundation of what life is and how it works from their standpoint. They taught us right from wrong, and good from bad, which also helps to build or tear down our trust. And if you had great parents, it was all good because you were properly guided and hopefully had a proper balance of discipline and love. You make friends along the way, where some have your back, while others might talk behind your back. You eventually become grown to where you enter into relationships that, for some, throw a whirlwind of emotions like – falling in love, betrayal, butterflies, sadness, anger, beauty, and drama.

What do all these relationships have in common? THERE ARE PEOPLE IN IT……. and people are flawed. It begins in the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 ESV- “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

The trouble with us as people will always begin in the heart. And the heart, unfortunately, is corrupt in many ways, which means it takes an impartation and/or renewal of the heart and mind through the Holy Spirit and power of God to prompt change. Then we are able to receive the insight, wisdom, and perspective from God to adopt these same behaviors, and our hearts can begin to change. God can give us that.

Ezekiel 36:26 ESV– And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Therefore, the intentions of the heart are flawed as mentioned above. And God sees this because he is the one who searches the heart and tests the mind. He sees not as man sees because he looks not on the outward appearance but on the motivations of the heart. He can see if we’re kind and convincing in order to deceive someone, when we’re acting happy for someone when we’re actually jealous of what they have, when we pretend to be genuine but we’re actually manipulating to one-up another person, when we deny the obivous truth because we’re full of pride, or when we’re wishing somebody well when we’d prefer they’d come to ruin. WE NEED GOD to correct the unseen motivations of our HEARTS~

Mark 7:21-23 ESV– “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

We know that with the heart of God, this is not so. With this all in mind, and knowing that God’s thoughts are higher than ours, knowing that he created us and knows what is the best design and course for our lives, we can do the following;

Trust in the Lord, work heartily for him, commit our way, our work, and our hearts to him. And if one asks whom to trust in, it is always the Lord over man. We can trust the Lord because he is all-knowing, his way is perfect, every one of his words proves true, he is not like man that he should lie, he is faithful and just, abundant in power, with everlasting love, and his understanding is beyond measure. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and he declares the beginning and the end. Therefore, we can trust him and his heart towards our past, present, and futures. Those that trust in him, look to him, because we know from whom our help comes.

Psalm 118:8 ESV– It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

MANS LIMITATIONS when TRUSTING HIMSELF

We are merely man. We spend most of our lives trying to figure out who we are, why we are, what we’re good at, and what we were made for. For those of us who come to this understanding that there is actually someone bigger than ourselves, the answers fill themselves in when we seek God and discover our answers along with our identity through Jesus Christ. 

Jeremiah 17:5 ESV– Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

We, as the human race, over the centuries, have discovered ways to become more self-reliant, self-sufficient, highly skilled, and technically inclined. This makes us feel overall capable, powerful, and independent individuals. It is, therefore, easy to feel in control and responsible for our successes, making it easy to remove God from the equation. But the truth is, apart from him, we are nothing, as we have detached our connection to life spiritually and everlasting.

Micah- 7:5-7 ESV– Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Over and over we are warned to put our trust in God over man. And that even those closest to you or in your household may disappoint you. I don’t believe that means everyone you know will hurt or disappoint you. However, it does mean that as humans, we are certainly capable, even when it’s unintentional or when it’s a simple and honest mistake. A lot of this is a result of not putting our guidance in the hands of the Lord.

Proverbs 28:26 ESV– Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

It took me years to finally realize that I’m much happier not having to depend on the moods, emotions, or hoping for the positive energy of other people. Because at times when I’m low in these areas, people don’t always fill in the gaps. But God always does…