A Matter of Trust
ByOn 7th December 2007 I took on the challenge to jump 192 metres from New Zealand’s Auckland Sky Tower, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Celebrating fifty fabulous years was far outweighed by my motivation to raise funds to carry the practical love of the Gospel of Christ to impoverished women and children.
Having always been afraid of heights, I chose to take the plunge, knowing how readily I can settle into the comfort zone of life where mediocrity passively nods as adventure beckons. Some said I was courageous. However, I discovered that, for me, this was a matter of trust—trust in those who had engineered, constructed and promoted this daring activity; trust in the equipment itself, that the cable attached to my harness would not fail me.
Preparation only partly conditions one for such an event. Poised high above city skyscrapers, heart pounding and mind focussed, trust surely was put to the test. As I obeyed the instruction, “Lean forward and just let go,” this cable-controlled base jump whizzed my gravity-powered body in approximately eleven seconds to a distant target on the ground below. My weight caused the equipment to function effectively. Exhilaration silenced former fears and trust had been the vehicle by which I had conquered them!
So what’s all this about TRUST—confident reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and surety of a person or thing?
Trusting God (Proverbs 3:5)
We all know that putting out trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord enables us to connect with the living God of heaven Who daily wants to fill our lives with His benefits. Trusting Christ is essential—He has not and will never fail us.
Trusting People (Proverbs 31:11)
But what about trusting people? We are all involved in at least one organisation which is comprised of a purpose-sharing relationship. Are you a marriage partner, a family member, a business partner or a church volunteer? Research reveals that trust is one vital element essential to make your current organisation succeed.
A newborn baby trusts implicitly. However, many of us have had trust eroded by unsavoury circumstances or mistakes of people in whom once we had placed our confidence. Then, sometimes, there is no obvious reason for low trust. Low-trust’s lacking paradigm needs to be replaced by a renewed and improved mentality aimed toward trust-building. Love can be unconditional, but trust must be built.
In the months prior to my Tower Jump, with trepidation I imagined jumping 192 metres, not a welcome thought for my security-prone personality. Everything inside of me wanted to stay grounded where I felt safe. Illogical fears screaming inside of me, I progressively silenced them by focussing on the safety factor of the equipment and its operators. However, I further focussed on those needy people whose lives my jump fund was going to improve. I would step outside my comfortable circle of life—for others, not just for myself—and make a world of difference.
Did you realise that the futures of other people are dependent on how well you negotiate issues of trust in your life, in your life’s partnerships? As you intentionally mobilise your values and practices toward trust-building, the very fibre of your organisation will strengthen and expand.
So let’s step out further on trust’s mission today and dare to take the plunge. Choose to lean in trust toward God, build trust in relationships, strengthen your life’s fibre, and help others to become trustworthy, trusting, complimentary team members whose strengths become greatly effective, as they function together.
It’s a matter of trust!
