Overcoming Trust Issues

In this post, the seventh installment in my summer series on relationships, I share the key to overcoming your trust issues in relationships. This article, like the previous posts in this series, is a reprint from our A Stitch in Time newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading today’s article whether reading for the first time or second!

Yes, I Can Trust

“Thank you for trusting me…” I smiled when I first read that in an email from Reggie last month. “Of course, I trust him,” I thought to myself. However, it was not always that way. If you know my husband, you might be wondering how I could not trust him.

My lack of trust had nothing to do with Reggie and everything to do with me. Because of the pain of past relationships, I did not trust. I had erected a wall in my heart. I was determined to never let anyone hurt me again. Enough was enough. It was time to take another route.

Time with God was the first stop along this new path. I focused on God, learned His voice, and how He spoke to me. I shudder right now when I remember how nervous I felt when I sensed Him telling me to tear down the wall that I had erected. I did not need the wall because He would protect me if I would trust Him.

I had encountered so much pain doing what I thought was right that I did not trust myself anymore. I was ready to trust God with my relationships. God had never failed me before. Through trusting God, I learned to respond when the Spirit spoke to me about relationships.

Through trusting God, I learned to respond when the Spirit spoke to me about relationships. #CreatingARelationshipILove Click To Tweet

The fact is that much of the pain I experienced in the past was because I did not listen when the Spirit spoke. For instance, I remember the Spirit telling me that my first love would end, but I was not ready for it to end. So, I did not end it until I found out that he was seeing another woman. If I had listened to the Spirit, I would have been spared the pain of infidelity. The Spirit would have protected me had I but trusted Him.

So, when the Spirit encouraged me to allow Reggie to be my friend, though I had my doubts, I responded. As I got to know Reggie, I saw Reggie trusting God. Over time, that taught me that I could trust Reggie because he was trusting God.

I tried my way when I was younger, but not now. I didn’t have that kind of time anymore. The thing is that no matter how much time I have it is too precious to waste. I am too precious to waste.

The thing is that no matter how much time I have it is too precious to waste. #CreatingARelationshipILove Click To Tweet

So, I took that step into the unknown trusting God to show me the way. Trusting God that I could one day have a happy, healthy relationship and today I do. I have a happy, healthy relationship. And you can too.

If you enjoyed this post, check out the rest of my summer series on relationships.

Summer Series on Relationships:

• Part One – Preparing for a relationship by spending time alone with God.
• Part Two – Some tips from my late husband Reginald Sanders on how to spend time alone with God.
• Part Three – Who should take initiative in a relationship and when.
• Part Four – Protecting your significant other’s tender spots and vulnerabilities.
• Part Five – Getting your priorities in order.
• Part Six – Healing past pain.
• Part Seven – Overcoming trust issues.
• Part Eight – Overcoming fear.
• Part Nine – Valuing women.
• Part Ten – Honesty in a relationship.
• Part Eleven – The cause of your discomfort.
• Part Twelve – Your beliefs.
• Part Thirteen – Believe quickly.
• Part Fourteen – At the heart of good relationships is friendship.
• Part Fifteen – Real, genuine brothers and sisters-in-Christ.

Questions:

• Do you have trust issues?
• What keeps you from trusting God?
• What keeps you from trusting the people in your life?
• How could trusting God improve your relationships?