INTRODUCTION
Trust is the fruit of trustworthy relationship. Basic trust accrues as trustworthiness grows in one's primary relationships. Initial investments of trust in any relationship, enable the creative mingling of positive giving and receiving which, under girded and infused by the grace of God, enhances the trustworthiness of the relationship and each person's capacity for trusting.
Breakdown of trustworthy relating, especially in primary relationships, promotes manifold psychological symptoms, fear, conflict, self-condemnation, despair, and depression. Conversely, restoring trustworthy relationship is an essential means for healing psychological imbalances and brokenness.
Attributes of trustworthy relating include mutuality, availability, accessibility, justice and support for multiple loyalties. These are goals for relationship and ingredients that give definition to trustworthiness. As these ingredients become actualized, trust grows.
The process of restoring trust in broken and injured areas of relationship is slow and requires patience. Steps along the way include deepening trust in one's most secure relationships and grounding oneself more firmly in one's communion with God.
Fortified with courage and trust through these efforts, one is in a better position to risk renewed trust investments in one's threatening and wounded relationships. Trust restoring efforts usually begin slowly and grow in strength as mutual desire for reconciliation and deepened relationship is perceived. Helpful ingredients are prayerful preparation, tentative indirect testing, reciprocal communication of felt injustices, repenting and forgiving, discerning capabilities and limitations and negotiating next steps.
