Trust vs Mistrust: Example to Discuss the Topic
“Trust is the glue of life. It is the most essential ingredients in effective communication. It is the foundational principle that holds all relationships” mentions Stephen Covey. Trust is the hub in the wheel of relationship with God and creation. I often define trust as the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. In Scripture, trust is bold confident, sure security or action on God. This trust vs mistrust example essay seeks to reflect on how a small word like trust plays such an important part in relationships and faith, highlighting practical ways to build and restore trust in relationships.
Barbara Smith says “trust is to human relationship what faith is to gospel living. It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built. Where trust is, love can flourish”. Is faith different from trust? Yes, it is. Faith is a gift from God and is a journey of trust (Eph. 2:8-9) toward sanctification. Trust is what we do because of the faith we have nurtured in a loving, liberating and life giving God - Holy Mystery. In other words, faith is a verb that is relational and mysterious. Unlike Anne Sexton who sees faith as a rowing boat towards God, I see faith as a lifelong journey with Holy Mystery. From very early in life, I knew that God is with me. My mother often talked about God is a Spirit, listening to every conversation and loving every move that is made in my life. My childhood faith was one of consciousness of the divine and also a time of curiosity and questioning.
Marcus Borg says “fiducia is faith as ‘trust’, as radical trust in God. This is more than trusting the truth of a set of statements about God, which is assensus, but rather it means trusting in God. Faith is not a set of propositions or doctrines to believe, but more like being buoyed up, floating, and trusting in God.” Borg quotes Soren Kierkegaard by saying “trust is like floating into a deep ocean,” maybe like one that Anne Sexton had her boat on. “Faith is about beloving God and all that God beloves. The Christian life is about beloving God and all that God beloves. Faith is our love for God. Faith is the way of the heart”.
In the Bible, trust in God is a feature of many of the Psalms whether they are from the deliverance, lamentation or thanksgiving narratives. God is trustworthy. There are 39 references to trust in the Psalms alone. These refer to trusting God, the Word of God and not the riches or things of the world. It is on the basis of this trust that people of faith finds help, and hope in life’s troubling times. The person of faith never stops trusting in God completely even when the faith is knocked down or stumbling, God is trustworthy (Psalm 33:4).
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development talks a lot about Trust vs. Mistrust. In the first stage of development, (ages 0-1), infants learn to trust that their caregivers ‘ability’ to meet their basic needs. If the infant receives a care that is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatened. They will be filled with hope and believe that life is not a trick. If infants need are not consistently met with mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety may develop and progress through the life cycle as well.
In childhood, just as how I trusted my mother to take care of me and my brothers and sisters, I also trusted God to do the same with my soul and life. Trust has always been sacred to me since childhood, which perhaps is my sacramental view that connects me to the reality of God who is. I believe that trust is what can flourish us and make relationships better. Mistrust is what can destroy us and people that we love.
