This past weekend I finished watching White Christmas starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.  It is one of my Christmastime traditions.  If you have seen it you know that Bing’s character (Wallace) falls for one of the Haynes sisters and visa versa.  But through a busy-body who hears only part of the story (while she listens in on the other phone), the Hayne sister gets the wrong idea of Wallace and leaves the act. As she was falling for him she talked about her knight arriving on a white horse.  He fell off his charger and of course, by the end of the movie (through the miracle of movie magic), she puts him back on the white horse.

Don’t you wish regaining trust was that easy in real life?  A misunderstanding.  A definite fall into sin.  A wrong choice.  An act of defiance.  All of those (and more) can lead to a loss of trust.  But unlike movie magic, it can’t be fixed in about 10-15 minutes, or with a quick “sorry,” or even a genuine repentant heart.  Blowing trust takes a moment; regaining it takes a lifetime.   Perhaps that is why being in leadership or a leadership position is such a scary proposition for me.  I know I am one step away from destroying trust in many areas of my life:  marriage, family, church, friends, position, etc.   Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” The moment arrogance sets in or the moment I say, “it will never happen to me” is the moment I am ripe for the kill.  I hate to admit it but I am not a naturally humble person.  I am too arrogant for my own good sometimes and so I pray daily for God to give me the right heart.

Listen to Pastor Mark as he quotes C.J.Mahaney near the end of this clip.  I don’t know how it could be said any better. What do you think? How about you?  Do you find yourself struggling with pride?  How do you think a person regains trust?  I would like to hear from you.