Love Is The Key To Trust

Today’s reading: 1 John 4:9-19

People say I’m crazy when they happen to find out about this habit of mine. I don’t advertise the practice, but that’s not because I’m afraid some thief will use it against me. I just don’t particularly enjoy being told I’m crazy.

I guess you could say I’m a closet truster.

Yes, it’s true: I don’t usually lock the doors to my home.

And the fancy, electric-only locks of my 1999 Chevy Suburban short circuited not long after I bought the truck two years ago. I never bothered to fix them.  (I bought the vehicle from a man I consider to be a great pastor. He left the “Jesus” stamp on the back. I say that’s all the protection the truck really needs.)

For most of my life, fussing with locks and other forms of security have seemed more trouble than its worth. I can tell dozens of stories of  locks having caused me much frustration and inconvenience, but I can’t think of a single time I’ve been robbed.

As I say, I have occasionally tried to explain all this to people when they accidentally discover my eccentricity, but they usually just go on about how lucky I am.

I always agree with them.  Except I use a slightly different word: blessed.

But, then, today’s reading reminds me that everyone is blessed. And none of us more than another. We’re all have the same amount (an eternity) of that glorious gift.

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. “(Verse 9)

So, while I rarely take the time to argue this point with my friends, I’m not that “lucky,” afterall.

I’m just blessed — like everyone else.

I think I make people uncomfortable when I try to convince them to follow my no-lock lifestyle. So I don’t do that anymore. And lately, when I’m caught in the act, I usually just pretend that I’ve mistakenly left something unsecured. (Or that I really knew better, but had no other choice — such as the instance the other day when a man in a gym locker room challenged my decision to leave my keys, wallet and cell phone in an unsecured locker. “I forgot to bring my lock. I’m just going to have to trust people today,” I said.)

From a discipleship point of view, I wish I had more courage to keep up my enthusiastic promotion of this trusting way of life.

But hearing that I’m crazy — and giving people reason to raise their eyebrows at me — is just not all that fun.

So, in the meantime at least, I suppose I’ll just stick to confessing my insanity in safe forums such as this.  And trusting the Bible to speak for itself on this matter.

” There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.” (Verse 18)

Thanks be to God for His perfect love.