The Highest Compliment

Most of the compliments we get tend to fall into two main categories. One category praises something we have done well, which could include anything from cooking a great meal to a making a great poster to winning an athletic race. The other category praises some part of our character, such as being thoughtful, determined, confident, etc. Although these are nice to hear, I'd like to suggest that the highest type of compliment is none other than, "I trust you."

To trust someone is more than a mental acknowledgement of their skills or character; it involves presenting them with personal need and having full confidence that they can meet that need. You could tell someone, "You are great at playing music," but a higher compliment would be to ask them to perform for a special event that you are hosting. You could compliment them for their integrity, but a higher compliment would be to entrust them with your house key and ask them to check on your house every day while you're on vacation. Notice also that in order to trust someone, you need to see them having both strong skills and character. Someone who can do the job but is not reliable to do it is not trustworthy. Likewise, someone who cannot do the job but has a very willing spirit is also not trustworthy.

When we truly trust someone, we do not worry about whether they will get the job done. Worry indicates a lack of trust. When I trust someone, I know that there's the possibility that something will go wrong, or even that the person I'm trusting will make a mistake. However, I also know that as soon as they see the problem, they will find a way to fix it.

Since genuine trust excludes worry, is there any place for accountability in a trusting relationship? It would be very unwise to never check up on how people are getting things done, but there is an important way in which we ask those follow-up questions. To ask, "Did you get the job done?," implies a lack of trust, whereas to ask, "How did it go when you did the job?" is just asking out of curiosity and implies trust that they actually did it.

Trust may be easier or harder for different people based on their experience of working with people. The idea of trusting God to keep His promises can seem like a huge jump since we have never actually seen Him or heard Him speak. To be honest, there are times that I struggle with trusting God, but what always helps me trust Him is to look at His track record. Over and over, the Bible records ways in which He kept His promises. It also goes into great detail to explain His perfect character. I am convinced that God is not only capable of keeping His promises, He is reliable to keep them in the way that is best.