Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.
Proverbs 25:19 (NLT)
We live in an imperfect world, and the reality is that not everyone can be trusted.
The trouble is that we often confuse love with trust. We’re taught to love unconditionally—no strings attached. We learn that everyone deserves acceptance; it’s not something people have to earn. But somehow we lump trust in with love and acceptance. We assume that we’re supposed to trust people unconditionally as well, but it’s not true.
Trust should always be earned. If we rely on people who haven’t earned our trust, it’s going to cause us pain, much like chewing on a broken tooth or stepping on a broken foot.
Some people can’t be trusted because they can’t handle conflict. At the first sign of trouble, their instinct is to run. You can’t count on these people to be there when things get uncomfortable.
Some can’t be trusted because they’re more concerned with being right than they are with your best interests. You’ve probably encountered people like this before. They’re quick to judge and criticize everyone. But if that’s how they treat others, how can you trust that you won’t be next?
Others can’t be trusted because they don’t follow through on commitments. They break promises time and time again, and always have some sort of crisis to blame for why they couldn’t come through. They may have the best intentions, but you just can’t count on them.
Should you still extend love, acceptance and forgiveness to these people? Absolutely! Should you trust them? No! And there’s nothing wrong with reserving your trust for those who have earned it.