As I sit here in my office, my eyes keep returning to a small sign on the wall over my door that reads, “Love always trusts.” The phrase comes from 1 Corinthians 13:7, where Paul writes that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
In many translations that phrase could also be understood as love that “hopes all things.” A love rooted in confidence that God Himself is trustworthy and that He will fulfill His saving work.
But if we are honest, trust can be a difficult word for many people even inside the church.
As I reflect on my own life, one of the most difficult struggles I have faced at times is trust. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You have trust issues.”For a long time, that described me. The trauma I experienced as a child caused me to look at people with suspicion. I learned early how to guard my heart. Instead of expecting kindness, I often assumed harm first.
Now Scripture does call us to discernment. Paul writes in Philippians 1:9–10 that our love should abound and that we be discerning. Wisdom matters.
But there is a difference between discernment and suspicion.
- Discernment seeks truth.
- Suspicion assumes the worst.
When unresolved trust issues shape our hearts, several things begin to happen:
- We judge people before they have the opportunity to prove themselves.
- We project past wounds onto present relationships.
- We assume others will treat us the same way those who hurt us once did.
Trust issues quietly rob us of opportunities. They rob us of the joy of being a blessing to others and receiving blessings in return. They rob us of learning how to truly love. And perhaps most dangerously, they can begin to shape how we relate to God. When we have been hurt deeply by people, it can become easy, sometimes subconsciously, to wonder if God Himself is truly trustworthy.
Yet Scripture repeatedly calls us to trust Him. Proverbs 3:5–6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
What begins to conquer our trust issues as believers is learning to love the way God loves. And that kind of love is not natural, it is supernatural. That kind of love is not selfish, but self-sacrificial.
To love the way God loves will often make us uncomfortable. It stretches us. It challenges the protective walls we have built around our hearts. Because loving like God places us in a vulnerable position.
To love self-sacrificially does not mean you are protected from betrayal. It does not mean people will never fail you. It does not mean everyone will love you in return.
Jesus loved perfectly, and He was still rejected, abandoned, and ultimately crucified.
Yet love did not stop Him. Love motivated Him.
To love self-sacrificially means choosing to love people even when they are at their ugliest. It means refusing to allow the wounds of yesterday to dictate how we love our neighbor today. And that is exactly where our trust issues are confronted!
People may fail. God never will.
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of God’s promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
When our trust is anchored in God first, something powerful happens. We become free to love others without fear controlling us. We are no longer loving out of self-protection, but out of the overflow of God’s love within us. 1 John 4:18 tells us, “Perfect love casts out fear.”
The more deeply we experience the faithful love of God, the less power fear has over our hearts.
So, if you struggle with trust issues, take heart. Healing does not happen overnight. Trust is rebuilt one step of grace at a time. Let God heal the places where others have wounded you. Let Him teach you how to trust and love His way. Because the goal of the Christian life is not to become someone who trusts no one. It is to become someone who trusts God so deeply that you are free to love boldly.
And when God heals your trust issues, He does more than restore your heart. He expands your capacity to love.
Love you all!
Pastor Lu