What Happened to Trust?

Warning: I'm going to talk about another crisis. Scrolling through Twitter this morning, I saw a recurring theme: a lack of trust. Think about it.

• You can't trust those scientists because you-know-who pays their salary.
• You can't trust the government, because it's full of corruption.
• You can't trust that political party because they are funded by that billionaire, and they just want to control everybody or help their buddies on Wall Street.
• You can't trust big corporations because they just want your money.
• You can't trust those high tech companies because they are mining all your personal information.
• You can't trust lawyers because, well, they are lawyers.
• You can't trust your doctor because he's peddling products by the big pharmaceutical companies.
• You can't trust the news media because they are pushing their own agenda, and you know what that means.
• You can't trust people different from yourself because they are up to no good.
• You can't trust religious leaders because they are after your money.
• You can't trust every news outlet because of all that "fake news."

So who can we trust? Patrick Lencioni says lack of trust is one of the "Five Dysfunctions of a Team." With no trust, every communication is suspect and loaded with incendiary content. But when trust is high, communication is almost effortless.

So, if we are going to recover trust, we have to be trustworthy. You go first.

But seriously, we need to be willing to take a step back from the toxic climate of public discourse, and listen to "those people." Even if they are nut-jobs, they may still have a point. Running people down and dismissing them does nothing to help us have a better society.

Let's have a conversation, folks.

Undue Diligience

I remember when food products had no expiration dates.  We could tell when food was bad, so we didn't eat it.  Actually I don't really remember finding any bad food.  Apparently my parents took care of it. 

Now everything has expiration dates, and it appears that (my) children consider examining expiration dates to be part of their due diligence before ingesting anything.  Never mind common sense or the sense of smell.  Let's look at that date.

(By the way, I have seen salad dressing on the grocery shelf with an expiration date less than a month in the future.  Who uses a whole bottle of dressing in a month?  No wonder they are all expired in your fridge.)

Maybe kids could trust their parents or their senses in evaluating food.

But think of the due diligence we exercise with our Heavenly Father.  Yes, I know that you said to forgive, but I want to consider what that will really mean.  Yes, I know that I should tithe, but how can I live on 90%?  Yes, I know that you promise to meet my needs, but I'm just a worrier. 

We diligently examine God's directions, wondering if he really is looking out for us.  We wonder if we can trust him.  So we check behind God to make sure that we can go along with his Word. 

Maybe he laughs at me and rolls his eyes like I do with my kids.

How to Pray

I am wrestling with intercessory prayer.  I'm praying for someone who needs guidance and direction.  But I don't know what to pray. 

I could write the script, and ask God to make it happen. 
I could just glibly say, "God work it out." 
I could merely repeat the request for wisdom ad infinitum. 
I could pray for direction as I make things work out.

Somehow, however, none of these perspectives on prayer seems right.  I am stuck merely asking God what to pray for.  How do I pray?  What do I say?  Is prayer merely saying the right things.  Isn't prayer more than mere words?

So this situation brings me to my knees, on behalf of another.  I ask for clarity on how to pray.  I ask for his intervention, not knowing exactly what that intervention should be.

And I try to listen.  That's so hard. 

Lord, open my soul to have your heart for this person, for this situation.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done.