Relationships survive and thrive on love,
trust, and respect. Someone said, "I love him, but I can't trust
him." Or, "I love her, but I've lost respect for her." Trust and
respect can be rebuilt when each person is patient and honest enough for change
and healing to evolve. Patience depends on basic love to endure the hardships
of waiting.
When
trust has been destroyed, trust for a person may not return, even after
forgiveness has taken place. While
forgiveness is a crucial step in restoring trust, it doesn't mean a person is ready
or willing to trust again. You may want to trust, wish you could, but find it
difficult to rise to the occasion.
Human
nature forces us to wait and see if a person is trustworthy. Letting down your
guard and gradually beginning to trust again depends on the assurance of safety.
Basic love provides hope for a return to trust. Romans 12:12 instructs us to "be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer." These three are necessary
for rebuilding a relationship.
