What does the Bible say about trusting others?

from the old testament

• Psalm 1 declares that the man who delights in the law of the Lord is blessed. When we seek God's kingdom and His ways first, we will draw closer to Him and our trust in Him will increase. We can ask God for discernment in whom to trust and with what things, and ultimately trust Him with the results.
• Proverbs 3:5–6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Our source of trust should come from God, not ourselves.
• It is good to recognize that not all people have pure motives and to temper our trust accordingly. Proverbs 13:20 says, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
• We should be weary of entering into a trusting friendship with an angry person: "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare” (Proverbs 22:24–25).
• Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Having uplifting, godly relationships with people is not something we should shy away from because we fear being betrayed. A person’s godly influence in our life can “sharpen” us in our walk with God, and vice-versa.
• Our trust should be built up in God—not in sinful people. Psalm 118:8–9 says, "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."
• Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 talks about the ways in which "two are better than one." While caution is advised in giving trust, engaging in trusting relationships with others is rewarding and certainly biblical.

from the new testament

• That our trust is ultimately in God instead of others does not mean that we blindly trust everyone with everything. Jesus warned His disciples, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
• An understanding that God is sovereign and that He works on behalf of His children (Romans 8:28–29) can remove fear in relating to others. We know that even if we are betrayed, God will never forsake us.
• Just because a particular teaching appears to have authority or popular acceptance does not mean it is biblically sound. While we should submit to our leaders (Romans 13:1–7), we cannot blindly trust everything we hear from sources of supposed authority. We should be especially skeptical of institutions with worldly motives.
• First Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" Although trust is something that we can consider extending to people who live out biblically moral lives, we should avoid placing our trust in those who are obviously living in the ways of the world.
• Second Corinthians 6:14 cautions believers from being unequally yoked with other believers in close relationships such as marriage. We must be discerning about our relationships and the people to whom we give our trust to.
• Ephesians 4:15 talks about speaking truth to one another in love. Real trust includes willingness to be honest with one another. When we can live in trusting relationships with each other, we can also edify and encourage one another.
• Hebrews 13 gives some instructions for Christian living. In part, it reminds followers of Jesus that God has said, "'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5–6).
• Hebrews 10:24–25 talks about the importance of believers gathering together and stirring one another up to love and good works. We should never neglect building relationships with those in the body of Christ—even if it means tackling some of our trust issues to be able to engage in such relationships.
• Biblical discernment is essential when it comes to the institutions or societal influencers we trust. First John 4:1 says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

implications for today

We must acknowledge that all humans are sinful (Romans 3:23). More than likely our trust will be broken at some point in several relationships. Perhaps even more sobering to realize, we will hurt others in our relationships and prove ourselves unworthy of their complete trust. Any time we put our trust in another human to be our God, we will be disappointed. At the same time, the answer is not to avoid relationships all together. Rather, we must rely on God first and put our trust ultimately in Him. A practical way to go about learning to trust others is to focus on being a person others can trust. This can look like living out a life of honesty and integrity, keeping to commitments, admitting when we are wrong, seeking others’ forgiveness, and being willing to forgive as we have been forgiven in Christ. An understanding that God is sovereign and that He works on behalf of His children (Romans 8:28–29) may help remove some of our fear in relating to others. Even if we are betrayed, God will never forsake us.