How To Trust After You've Been Hurt

It’s safe to say that trust is foundational to our society because it’s essential for healthy relationships. For most of us, there comes a point when the possibility of more hurt outweighs our willingness to reach out and trust other people. God designed us for relationship, and he also knew relationships would cause pain. It’s not that he’s playing some big trick on us by designing us for inevitable pain! He knew that pain was going to happen, and still made a way for us to engage. From the beginning of our lives, we are full of trust, however, our relationship with trust begins to shift. It begins with being taught by those who love us most to not trust strangers. This cycle continues and by the time we reach adulthood, we have adopted the belief that trust has to be earned, and that most people are not trustworthy. People tend to broadcast pre-rejection as a protective mechanism. When we live in pre-rejection mode, the enemy wins because he cheats us out of the chance for good friendships! Jesus anticipated our pain and made a way for us to still have meaningful connected friendships. God is in others, so I can trust them more because I trust Him. But even when we trust God in others, pain is still possible. In John 15 Jesus tells us to continually allow His love to nourish our hearts! When I choose to trust God in others, and his compassionate heart towards me, to walk in forgiveness, and to make allowances for other’s faults, I can be genuinely good! You will be hurt again, but you can go to God. He is compassionate and will heal you every time.