dis·trust – the lack or absence of trust – Mirriam Webster
Many of us remember those instances where we have not been trusted to take on something we knew we could take on. When we’ve been told down on by someone – perhaps in authority – that we could not amount to much or that we could not achieve, that we could not become. One instance that stands out mostly in my mind occurred back in college. I was working hard to start under a new soccer coach. The first game under this coach, I came from the bench (in a game I clearly should have started based on ability), to score 2 goals and give our team the win. With such a strong performance, surely I will start the next game, I thought, but I ended up on the bench again. The coach, John, told me how unwise I was to use a year of my NCAA eligibility to play under the previous coach even after I explained the great length that coach went to get me on the team.
The hammer came down right before the start of the season, I was invited into John’s office and he announced that I was cut from the team. Cut? This was my dream, to play soccer in college, to use my skills to gain a scholarship that will pay for tuition. This is what I have worked hard on for years. How could this be? What do I do now? Where do I go from here? This blew a hole in my confidence, a hole that took years to heal and be fully restored. In retrospect, I am happy it happened the way it did because my confidence had to be rebuilt, not on my abilities or my work ethic, but on Jesus Christ the solid rock.
I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
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| Distrust can lead to this – burnt Mac & Cheese |
The point is, we’ve had people in authority who showed little trust in us. Maybe its a teacher that said we won’t amount to anything, or a parent that said we were too fat, lazy, incompetent, ugly, slow …you name it. These actions, sometimes unwittingly, break our confidence, and self worth. In the next post I will talk about a trust so BIG, it will not just repair broken confidences and self esteem, but will enhance and protect them. And more so, will instill humility, which is the highest form of confidence. Stay tuned …