I just came across this excerpt from a devotional someone posted. I have found many of Oswald Chamber's devotionals to be rich in substance and oftentimes quite personally applicable. As I strive to love the people in my life better with greater understanding, this devotional reminded me that loving people better doesn't mean putting our faith or trust in them. Of course it's hard to fully love someone whom you have difficulty trusting but that's where the beauty of God's perfect, gracious love lies. It's such an interesting thought....loving our neighbor better means trusting our neighbor less.....it's not so much that our love needs to be "distrustful" but that trust simply isn't part of that perfect love equation.
"If we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ...Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone." Oswald Chambers from John 2:24-25
