LIVING IN MUTUAL SUSPICION

One of the temptations I often fall into that sometimes makes me wind up feeling like I fell into a trap is giving someone the benefit of the doubt.  I like to take the position that people are always telling me the truth.  That often works out just fine.  I still hold to the truth that every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and so there is goodness in every person.  Once in a while, this position comes back to bite me.  The person or person whom I thought were genuine turned out to have an ulterior motive and weren’t being honest with me.  When that happens, I am left feeling like a doormat. And perhaps that’s why so many of us take the position of not giving others the benefit of the doubt, but rather living in mutual suspicion of one another.  We want to avoid the situation of feeling walked all over.  We would rather not risk being taken for, and so we decide to not see the goodness in others.  We choose to not see others made in the image and likeness of God.  We choose to see others are persons ready to take advantage of us.

Recently my wife has been applying for jobs as she searches for new employment.  She shared with me that often the applications are accompanied with a self-assessment that asks questions about work ethic.  The questions seem to assume that the applicant is dishonest, at least to some degree.  An example of a question would be something like this, ‘Which of the following statements do you at least somewhat agree with?  It is okay to use my employers supplies for personal use.  It is okay to use sick time to take a day at the beach.’  This line of questioning is assuming that the prospective employee is at least dishonest in some way.  And there is that mutual suspicion of one another.

Jesus is not naïve.  He recognizes the faults we have.  He talks this Sunday about those who are dishonest even in the small things, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.’  However, he saw each person as having potential for great goodness.  He believed this so much that he didn’t condemn us for our sins, but with great mercy, took on our sins.

And so, where does this leave us?  We can play it safe and live in that mutual suspicion of one another, or we can live in mutual respect of one another.  In order to do that, we would probably have to look at our own lives first.  Am I honest in all things?  In those moments when I slip into my own egoism, do I look to change myself or do I simply want to blame others?  Do I sometimes or too often see others as a doormat to getting to where I want to go?

The ultimate choice with dealing with my brothers and sisters is do I deal with them with mutual suspicion or do I deal with them with mutual respect.  The choice is ours.  This choice can change the world.

The Servant