Trust. It is a big deal.

“Hope is a well founded and confident belief that a specific vision (goal, desire or promise) will be achieved or fulfilled within a specific amount of time.”

This quote is from the book by Steven K. Scott I mentioned in my last post. The Richest Man Who Ever Lived is about King Solomon, author of the book of Proverbs – practical life wisdom at its finest. Yes, Proverbs is just that good.

Again,hope is a confident belief that a specific goal or promise will be fulfilled within a specific amount of time.

So basically, when you make a commitment, a promise or even a statement that you will do something, and give a time frame for it, your family and your friends will take you at your word. That’s what we call trust. You say something. You do it. You make a promise. You fulfill it. You say you are going to be somewhere. You show up. You say you love him. You go to the game. You say you love her. You go to her ballet recital. You say you appreciate her. Get home to dinner on time. You make a promise. You fulfill it. Trust. Repeat. Repeat.

But here’s the other side of that coin. Promises broken. Commitments not kept. Disappointment. Trust broken. Hearts hurt.

Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick. . . “

When hope is put off, you lose your emotional energy and momentum. You know the feeling. We have all experienced it in one form or another. When we build hope for others and then don’t come through, we then defer others’ hopes. They lose their emotional energy and motivation. They lose their trust in us.

It’s no small thing.

I am a parent of two (now adult) children who at one point each received the car keys for a solo ride. I think this is one of the biggest trust experiences for parents and kids. Yeah, one of the biggest. So we lay out the rules. The kids say “Got it.” “Don’t you trust me?” “I promise I won’t talk on the phone or text while driving. I will be home on time and I will let you know when I get to where I am going.” Hope is instilled. Trust is at the door.

Then the phone call doesn’t come when they arrive at their destination. First response? It comes from the heart. You could call it a “sick” feeling … that hope deferred. Parents know what I am talking about. Some worry tries to creep in, disappointment. The good news --- nothing is wrong. They just forgot. Well, you can give your kids another chance. (You must if they are ever going to learn this life skill called driving). And they will straighten up and remember next time… because they want your trust. It’s a big deal.

Fulfilling promises is a big deal.

Proverbs 13:12 says “But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Desire fulfilled, promises kept, your word being true is a source of life. It feeds your relationships. It gives vision to your children of what integrity looks like. It grows your own character. It makes you a vessel that God can use. It makes you a vessel your family can believe in. It gives you motivation that your own words are true.