Recently, I was caught in the middle of a complex situation at work. Much time and energy was spent in second-guessing people, figuring out the other party's plot and plotting on my side too.
It's a situation where you think you're right and everyone else is being unreasonable. Truth is, I personally have been inconsistent myself and have not been completely honest all the time. Furthermore, I can never put myself completely in someone else's shoes. Perhaps nobody has the intent to cause harm to the project and they simply view the whole situation through a different lens. I then have to be careful that I do not enforce my own pair of lens onto other people's eye.
Being suspicious of people causes one to be on guard and it's draining. Trust is such an important aspect of relationships. Contrary to outward appearances, I suspect many people find it hard to completely trust someone. Due to self-centeredness, we are all inclined to put ourselves first.
After some wrestling with the situation, I found a useful insight. Ultimately, I should trust God and love people. Only God is unchanging and I can trust that He has best intentions for me. Loving people through God's mercy and grace allows me to build a genuine relationship with them despite any suspicion or criticism I have. Afterall, we are all fallen and rely on God's mercy and grace.
