Love always trusts
1 Corinthians 13:7 [Love] believes all things
All relationships are built on trust. If you don’t trust someone, how can you possibly hope to interact with them on any level without constant fear that they’ll lie to you or betray you? But love, to give this passage another interpretation, gives the benefit of the doubt.
We’ve all been through times in life when someone has done something to earn our distrust. We can forgive, but we won’t soon forget, and it may take a while for them to regain our full trust. There’s nothing wrong with this, but the forgiving part is very essential. And it’s never ok to distrust someone based on someone else’s actions. It’s not your wife’s fault that your ex-girlfriend hurt you. It’s not your boss’s fault that your last employer fired you unjustly. Give the benefit of the doubt.
There are those who don’t deserve our trust, but they still need our love. We should do all we can to show them that they are indeed loved despite their inability to be believed. There’s no formula for this, it’s going to be different in every case. Praying for the Holy Spirit to work through us in the relationship is one step in the right direction.
Believe the best in those you love. Don’t easily jump to conclusions, assuming the worst. Give the benefit of the doubt and show trust, until such a time as that trust is betrayed, and even then work toward repairing that element of the relationship. Follow the example of Jesus, who even though He knew the hearts of all men, gave all a chance.