“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8)
Who should we let into our life? Some people are scary. We wouldn’t want to be alone with them. Others can come across as safe to be with. They appear “normal,” friendly, sane – but looks can be deceiving. Wolves appear in sheep’s clothing, grooming their victims and waiting for the right opportunity to pounce.
In a world where people are not always what they seem, who can you trust? In a world where pretenders abound, and betrayers hide behind smiling faces, is it just better to be alone with one’s self? Trauma breeds isolation, and retreat into a protective bubble, where we feel safe with our own thoughts. While others may have been untrue to us, we believe we can be “true to ourselves.” But what does scripture tell us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) The word of God does not recommend that we trust ourselves. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool …” (Prov. 28:26)
The hard truth that many don’t want to hear is that they are no safer when alone with themselves than they are with another. We have an enormous capacity to lie to ourselves. We can think something right that is totally wrong. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). We can convince ourselves we have to do something which only leads to disastrous results. And the more isolated we become, cut off from those who could give us wise counsel, the more dangerous we become to ourselves and others.
What then is the answer? We desperately need one tried and true friend – a wise counselor, a Light who can shine truth into the darkness of our soul. His name is Jesus. He said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). We can trust Jesus more than we can trust ourselves. He will always lead us in the right way. Whenever we are straying in our hearts and minds, He can steer us back to safety and sanity.
The folly of trusting in man, also includes trusting in ourselves. You are not your own best friend. You are your own worst enemy. What you desperately need is the entrance and companionship of Jesus in your life. He will not only come alongside of you, but He will be in you to save you from your own self-inflicted folly.
Living alone, without Jesus, is a recipe for tragedy. He invites you to come to Him today. Don’t be afraid to let Him in. You CAN trust Him.