Trusting the Little Things
I Was Thinking…
How easy is it for us to trust these days?
I have heard it said that before trust can exist between people or institutions, there must first be trustworthiness. Perhaps you have noticed what I have noticed: trustworthiness seems to be in short supply, and it is not as easy to trust as it once was.
A recent article in The New York Times addressed this very subject. The article made the point that trust is essential to a healthy society. Without trust, people have difficulty cooperating with one another or with those in positions of authority.
The article noted that in the 1950s, when the American economy was growing, more than 70 percent of Americans said they trusted their leaders. But the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Watergate began to weaken that trust. More recently, the conflicts following September 11 and the COVID-19 pandemic have also contributed to a growing sense of distrust.
Today, we are confronted with questions about public health, flight delays, privacy, artificial intelligence, government transparency, rising costs, and the truthfulness of the information we receive. We hear different explanations from different people, and sometimes it is difficult to know whom or what to believe. (New York Times, September 23, 2026)
Not to be a “negative Nancy,” but this is concerning. Who do we trust? How do we trust? What do we trust?
It was Jesus who offered important words to His disciples when they were beginning to understand that He would soon be leaving them. These words are part of what scholars call Jesus’ “farewell discourse” in the Gospel of John, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.” (John 14:1, CEB) Those words seem especially meaningful in a time when trust is difficult.
The Bible speaks of a gift of the Holy Spirit called discernment (1 Corinthians 12). I believe discernment is critical to our struggle with trust. What is real news, and what is fake news? What is true, and what is simply designed to get our attention?
It takes discernment to see through the fog of politics, personal ambition, and self-interest.
One of the questions I believe we should ask when deciding whether someone is worthy of our trust is this: What is the fruit of that person’s life? Are they trustworthy? Or are they simply another person using the argument that “the end justifies the means”?
I often hear people say, “Don’t pay too much attention to the little things. Look at the big picture.” But I would argue that it is often in the little things that we discover who can and cannot be trusted.
Discernment is at work in the little things—in our daily behavior, our everyday decisions, our words, and the way we treat other people. The “fruit” of a person’s life tells us much about the condition of that person’s heart. Trustworthiness is often revealed in the little things.
So, I encourage you, and I encourage myself: Don’t let the decline of trust in our world discourage you. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus Christ. And trust that God will give us the discernment we need to remain faithful to His purposes in our world.
I can remember—and perhaps you can too—times when I was not sure why things were happening or why things were not happening the way I thought they should. It was during those moments that I learned the simple practice of trusting God one day at a time—and sometimes one moment at a time. I had to trust that God knew the truth of the situation, even when I did not. And trusting God made all the difference.
Sometimes it is the little act of trust that allows us to face the big things in life.
“Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in Jesus.” These are words of Jesus worth living.
Always Thinking…
