By Hylton Gudmanz
The Lion King popularised the idea of “The Circle of Life” – how it carries us all “through faith and love”. Of course, God is the author of History and actively involved in our lives, rather than just being a “force” that moves us. But rhythms, seasons and cycles abound in this life. There are even cycles of business – movements to centralise (Head Office has the power) and then decentralise (power to the branches) over time.
While some ideas from the world of work can help us understand deep truths, often it’s business that needs to learn from the Scriptures, instead – looking at the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18) for Servant Leadership and to Jesus’s framework on forgiveness in Matt.18 to resolve disputes. What is very clear is that good leadership is based on trust: children follow parents when they trust them, and music teams follow the direction of the worship leader or “lead worshipper” as Matt Redman named the role. Why do we trust, though?
Long before Trust
Trust shouldn’t be “blind”. Erik Erikson, a psychologist known for his work on human development, identified 8 stages of growth. Trust defines the first stage, followed by Autonomy (“Look, Mom, no hands!”) and Initiative (“Why?” being asked constantly, and engaging imagination). What’s interesting is how stage 8 (Integrity) completes a cycle and is sets the scene for trust. In Erikson’s model, problems at one stage require us to go back a stage for the answers. Integrity shows us that we can trust someone – based on our experience and what we have heard about them. Integrity is “integratedness” – having the same character in multiple circumstances. God has shown his trustworthiness over and over in my life, and yet I sometimes don’t trust him completely – it’s a call to renew my mind and line up my “views” with how God has revealed himself, rather than God needing to do anything more. The root word for “trust” in English is “deru”: true. Acting in good faith, having the hope and expectation of faithfulness. The word we use in marriage – “betroth” – is a “pledge to be true”. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6), so it’s essential to his character.
Testing the Waters
Peter must have wondered if he could trust the stranger on the shore, shouting for him to “throw out your nets on the right-hand side of the boat” (John 21:1-7). After all, he was an experienced fisherman, on the Sea of Galilee with other specialists. But he had heard this once before (Luke 5:4-11) and that changed his life, so he had nothing to lose but his pride. He gained both fish and an understanding of who Jesus is – truth, life and love, and that He cared about their well-being and income as well as their spiritual state.
Charles H. Green is known for his “Trust Equation”: Trust = CRI/S:
Credibility, reliability and intimacy divided by (perceived) self-interest. Credibility is aking “do you know what you’re talking about” and “will you be able to deliver on your promise?” Reliability is how consistently we fulfil our word – whether someone can count on us, as a general rule. Intimacy covers how invested, caring and close we are in our relationships. Self-interest is important – there needs to be a reason to do something – but too much “what’s in it for me” turns people off.
I asked a client to rate me as a coach on these and he said, “you’re very credible and caring and I can see your genuine interest in us. But you sometimes miss our messages, and so I am not sure about your reliability”. Phew! It’s still a wrestle sometimes, but I’m aware now and can work on that aspect of my trustworthiness. Where do you stand in those four areas, if you think of your most important relationships? Are you doing all you can to be trustworthy?
Jesus, our Example
Jesus built great trust with his followers. He was bold enough to fulfil his mandate in plain sight and create a whip overnight (John 2:15) to clear the traders who were blocking Gentile access to the Temple. Yet he also knew when to be quiet and when to wait (2 days in the case of his good friend Lazarus) and he often used parables, not directives. If I was the Messiah, I probably wouldn’t have hopped in a boat and began teaching, saying, “there once was a man…”. Even his disciples didn’t understand some of this, and had to ask him to explain a parable or two. How risky it was, and is, trusting people to think things through and make a choice, rather than forcing them to act on the spot! Leading with questions, Jesus helped the disciples think critically (“Who do people say the Son of Man is?” – Matt. 16:13-20. He even feigns ignorance to stimulate conversation with the men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).
How loving to wait on the Spirit for discernment or to share words of knowledge (the woman at the well – John 4: 5-30 – and the rich young ruler – Mark 10:17-25). How inclusive and loving, fellowshipping with tax collectors, inviting people to where he was staying (John 1:38) and even helping hosts avoid the embarrassment of running out of wine at a wedding (John 2:1-12)!
Jesus trusted the Father even in Gethsemane, where he cried out in anguish, seeking any alternatives to the cross (Luke 22:42). When none could be offered, he accepted God’s way and became the atoning sacrifice that fulfilled the Law and made peace with God eternally (1 John2:2). The word “good” comes from the word for “God”. “Enthusiasm” comes from “en” and “theos” – to be “in God”!
So let us cling to the truth of how he loves us, how faithful he is and therefore entrust our lives to the one who is worthy of our every breath.)