Thanks to Anna (Ben) Crumback at Sointula Community Church for producing the Church of the Week!
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Trust: assured reliance on
the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something (Merriam Webster).
Daily, from stairs, to
a restaurant meal, to our driving ability, we all place our trust in a variety
of things.
We also place our trust in people. Sometimes this trust can be misplaced, in
that we trust things and people who prove to not be as trustworthy as we hoped.
In the last federal
election, a candidate for Prime Minister was quoted saying, “Transparent government is good
government. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a
government that trusts Canadians.” So, how is that working
for us?
South of the 49th, we read that according to the 2016 exit poll, just 33% said
Trump was honest and trustworthy while 64% said he wasn’t. Trump won 94% of the
vote among the people who said he was honest and trustworthy, and he also won
20% of the vote among people who said he wasn’t. So, one in every five people
who voted for Trump did not believe he was honest or trustworthy.
Politicians as a rule do not rate very well when it comes to trust. Before we
say too much about this, it is interesting and also humbling to learn that
pastors are also not very respected in our culture.
According to a recent poll by Gallup, far more Americans trust nurses (84%),
doctors (67%) and pharmacists(66%) teachers(60%) and police officers(54%) than
pastors (37%).
Only a third of
Americans say that clergy have high or very high honesty and ethical standards.
Forty-three percent say they have average honesty, while 15 percent give clergy
“low” or “very low” marks.
While this scores
above used car salesmen and politicians, still 2/3 of Americans do not grant
trust to a pastor because of their vocation. Here is a link to the study:
Public Trust of Pastors at All Time Low
To this end, Henry Cloud offers some interesting insights into the importance of trust for leaders. Trust comes from people who believe that their leaders really understand them and listen to them. Trusted leaders do not spout off platitudes and patronize – they know that trust is earned and comes through servant-leadership. Here is a link to Cloud’s article.
When we think of
trust, we are so blessed to place our trust in a Saviour who both understands
us and has acted in our interests!
As the writer to the
Hebrews writes:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has
ascended into heaven,Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to
the faith we profess.
For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but w, knowinte
have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time
of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16).
As we enter this new
year, I am thankful that we can do so, knowing that our Saviour is trustworthy,
as is our hope in Him. May we who bear his Name and share his message prove
trustworthy in both word and deed.
We cannot assume trust
because of our position. We earn trust through faithfulness; through care and
listening; by keeping our word, and by a life that is consistent with what we
profess.
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Please pray for:
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Upcoming Events:
LPD Annual Conference:
March 1,2 at Vancouver Chinese EFC.
“Discipleship that Transforms“
The expectation of the
Great Commission is to make disciples, yet it seems like we are struggling to
see transformed lives in our churches today. If we are going to be the
gospel-sharing people that Christ desires, how do we accomplish the goal of
becoming a Great Commission church? In exploring how to create a church
culture where disciples are transformed; we are confident you will be equipped
to meet the challenge of helping people hear the voice of Jesus and follow in
simple obedience.
Please plan to join us for this annual gathering, and to attend with your
leadership team!
Please mark your
calendars and watch for details early in the New Year!
